YuGiOh Junior: City of Souls
by Cyber Commander
Summary: Reposted by popular demand. Episode Two.
1. Prologue

_Again, here is episode two, reposted. Be warned, when this was written, my knowledge of the game was still crude, as was my knowledge of the anime._

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**Yu-Gi-Oh Junior**

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**Episode Two**

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**City of Souls**

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**A fanfic by Cyber Commander**

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**Prologue**

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**The Story So Far...**

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Nothing lasts forever. All men must die. It is a given fact. But all dream they will not be forgotten. They attempt to keep their memories alive by performing acts of fame, doing great accomplishments, and most often, producing offspring. In this way, they keep themselves alive in the hearts and minds of others, in the form of a _legacy_.

Yugi Muto was no different. Decades ago he looked evil in the face several times, and fought it head-on. Destiny had chosen him for a great task: to protect the world from the Shadow Games, horrible rituals which at one time threatened to consume the world. Eventually, Yugi Muto defeated all his foes, and destroyed all his demons… and when the time came for him to become a man, he put away his deck of cards and entrusted his sacred duty to a legacy of his own, in case the danger ever returned.

Case in point, his son, Yugi Muto Jr. He was surprised to say the least when he and his fellow duelist and childhood sweetheart Mary Wheeler were given what seemed to be a great opportunity by the daughter of his father's old foe, Maximillion Pegasus. Anastasia Pegasus announced the opening of a new duelist theme park, greater that the old Duelist Kingdom, by the name of the Duelist's Labyrinth, and Yugi and Mary were invited to the invitation-only tournament to celebrate its opening.

Yugi suspected Anastasia of sinister motives, but he decided he had to participate in order to prevent any evil plans. He and Mary traveled to the tournament with their friends Peter and Clive, and the duels began. Soon after, the mysterious Spirit of his Millennium Puzzle, which his father entrusted to him, awoke, saying that he too suspected Anastasia of nefarious motives.

More determined than ever, Yugi and Mary fought their way through the Labyrinth. They met two heirs of great duelists that their parents had known – Jade Valentine, daughter of Mai, and Siegfried Kaiba, nephew of Seto. Eventually, all four of these duelists won their way to the finals, where the prizes were made clear: twelve million dollars to the winner, and the right to face Anastasia herself. The reward for winning that duel would be one wish, which she promised she would grant with the power of her Millennium Item, an odd walking stick that Yugi didn't recognize.

But the night before the finals, Yugi was approached by one of Anastasia's servants, who warned him that Anastasia was more anxious to duel him than any other. Determined that his host was plotting something uncouth, Yugi decided that he had to defeat his friends to save them, lest Anastasia's plan be unleashed upon them.

This he did, fighting his way and winning the tournament. But when he accepted Anastasia's challenge, she unleashed her mad trap. She first took his friends hostage, chaining them in a dimensional prison. She then dragged Yugi to the Shadow Realm, for a duel in which the loser would perish. She also made it quite clear that should Yugi lose, his friends would be her slaves forever. It would be her revenge, she claimed, for Yugi's father ruining the life of her father.

At first, Anastasia seemed unbeatable. But she made the same mistake her father had: she underestimated the bond of friendship Yugi held with his allies. How they did it, not even they are quite sure, but just when all hope seemed lost, they all found a way to reach out to him from their dark prison, supporting him both with their cards, their endurance, and best of all, their cheers. It took all the power they had, but Yugi proved triumphant, slaying the villain and winning the duel.

But it was not over yet. Yugi then discovered that to gain her power, Anastasia had made a deal with Death – literally. When the Grim Reaper appeared to generously tell Yugi the truth of the whole situation, Yugi was horrified to learn that the entity intended to consume Anastasia's soul, completely eradicating it. Not wishing such a terrible fate on even his worst enemy, Yugi agreed to play Death in one more duel, wagering the freedom of his own soul on the outcome. They dueled, and the Pale Horseman seemed an even greater foe. But when the Anastasia's pitiful spirit begged Yugi for forgiveness, he knew he had to win. He made the right draw… and defeated Death. The Reaper kept his word, and sent Anastasia's soul to receive proper Judgment, hinting that she might find redemption among the higher powers someday.

Only one thing remained… Yugi's prize. Anastasia was in no position to grant Yugi a wish, but the Reaper said he would do so. Yugi wanted only one thing – for all relatives of Maximillion Pegasus and his employees to forever leave him, his friends, and their family lines alone – henceforth, they would trouble them no more. The Reaper made it so.

Returning home, Yugi decided to split his twelve million dollar check with his friends six ways, to thank them for their help. It is one year later. Now, Yugi and his friends not only have everything they've ever wanted, thanks to the money, but they are celebrities of a sort. Word of the victory at the Duelist's Labyrinth has spread like wildfire among gamers. Though coroners have ruled Anastasia's death a stress-induced stroke, rumors abound; those familiar with her father's evil ways believe she made a deal with the Devil, who claimed her after Yugi defeated her. They have no idea how close to truth their theory nearly was.

But not all this recognition is for the best. Plans are being made by individuals that do not bode well for Yugi and his friends. The Pegasus clan is forbidden to touch them, but shadows of other individuals from the past lurk in the darkness, waiting to strike, waiting to unleash their own legacies…

In the meantime, Yugi and Mary continue to improve their decks and pursue their studies… Peter and Clive, inspired by them, are learning how to duel…

Soon, the duels will begin again… the legacy will continue… but the stakes will be much higher…

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**Characters You Already Know:**

**Yugi Muto Jr.:** The son of the great Yugi Muto, he has been entrusted with the powerful Millennium Puzzle, which holds a benign Spirit who was once the King of Games. A Duel Monsters player of great skill, his deck contains many of his father's favorite cards, including the Celtic Guardian, Gaia the Fierce Knight, Dark Magician Girl, and of course, the Dark Magician. Since escaping Anastasia's mad trap, Yugi has continued to work on his deck, making it more powerful and hopefully formidable. He has been to the Shadow Realm and back, and knows that Duel Monsters is more than a card game… it is a reflection of the duelist's soul, possessing a Heart of its own.

**Mary Wheeler:** The daughter of Yugi Sr.'s lifelong friend Joseph Wheeler (no longer known as "Joey"), she has been the younger Yugi's sweetheart since childhood. Possessing her father's guts and spunk, the pigtailed youth is a master duelist herself – in her deck are many of her father's favorite cards, including the Flame Swordsman, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and Time Wizard. She too has been working hard to make her deck formidable, and since her ordeal in the Duelist Labyrinth, she has jumped at every opportunity to duel with anyone who'll accept her challenge.

**Clive Marris:** Yugi's close friend, he was part of his cheering section during the Labyrinth tournament, and helped him prevail against the evil Anastasia Pegasus. Yugi's victory has inspired him to start dueling himself, and he has put together a deck full of powerful cards. A fighter all his life, he enjoys using Warrior Monsters, and he is quite fond of using his complete set of the Dark Scorpion Gang Monsters; he's also big on Equip cards.

**Peter Ramset:** A teenage photographer who's always on the lookout for the best picture, Peter accompanied Yugi to the trapped tournament with the intent of getting the best coverage of Duel Monsters matches ever. The fact that he was almost enslaved by the evil behind the tournament now means little to him… the photos he took there have since been published in a best selling pictorial book called _Masters of Dueling_. He too has decided to take up the hobby, and his deck has some of the most bizarre cards in the game – to his artistic eye, a card must be interesting to look at for him to add to his deck. His favorite cards are his complete collection of the Archfiend Monsters; all of them require more luck than skill to use, but he can't help but feel a rush of excitement when he summons them to his side of a dueling station.

**Jade Valentine:** The daughter of the older Yugi's old ally Mai Valentine, Jade is everything her mother wasn't – mature, disciplined, and wise. Trained in Japan in the way of the Samurai, she is almost never seen without her shining green armor and lethal katana blade. One of the guests in the Duelist Labyrinth tournament, she was able to aid Yugi a great deal, yet she now feels she owes him a debt for rescuing her from slavery… a fate that a Samurai like her feels would have been worse than death. Her deck contains Warriors and various oriental Monsters, including her favorite, Yamoto the Noble Samurai, a powerful creature that can be aided and strengthened by several other cards. (Jade will not appear until later in the story).

**Siegfried Kaiba:** The nephew of the older Yugi's old rival Seto Kaiba, the tall, ponytailed Siegfried is a lot friendlier and less arrogant than his now-retired uncle was. His deck contains many powerful cards, including his uncle's three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, the only three believed to exist in the world. Another guest at the Labyrinth tournament, he too owes Yugi quite a debt, which he intends to pay back soon. (Siegfried will not appear until later in the story.)

**Shadi:** Guardian of the Millennium Items and as immortal as the sands of Egypt, he is the holder of the Millennium Key, and as mysterious as the Pyramids themselves. While Maximillion Pegasus created the Duel Monsters game, rumors abound that the true inspiration for the game came from this ancient wizard – and thus he is partially at fault for the evils that have been done in its name. Still, Shadi is ever vigilant about matters concerning the seven Millennium Items, and he turns up wherever an imbalance occurs with them. Yugi Jr. and his friends have yet to meet him, but this will change soon. (Shadi will not appear until later in the story.)

Now, as the summer sun of June beats down upon four of our heroes at their annual school barbecue to herald in the summer break, danger seems as far away from them as the sun itself. But tread lightly young ones… the time for play will soon be over…


	2. Introductions Aside

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**Chapter One**

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**Introductions Aside**

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Music, laughter, and the smell of grilled food filled the air in the city park where most of the student body of the local high school had gathered. Yugi Muto Jr. was eagerly filling up at the buffet table, for the third time in the past hour.

"Where do you put it all?" said a voice behind him.

Yugi smiled and turned to face Mary. "Hey," he said, "we only have this shindig once a year, I think I'm entitled to it. Besides… you don't seem to be practicing restraint…"

He pointed to her plate, which had three burgers and two ears of corn on it. She chuckled.

They carried their plates towards a table, and out the corner of his eye, Yugi noticed Clive and Peter.

"Are those two still going at it?" said Yugi.

"Last time I checked, Peter was beating him five duels to four," responded Mary.

They went over to the table where their two friends had set out a tabletop dueling mat. At the moment, Clive was the only one with a card on the board (Dark Scorpion Gorg the Strong) in Attack Mode.

"Your move, Peter," he said.

Peter drew. He chuckled.

"Ha!" he said. "Skull Archfiend of Lightning, in Attack Mode!" he said, putting down the Monster card. "Attack! Bam!"

Clive discarded Gorg the Strong. "You're in trouble now, Clive," said Mary.

Clive drew. "Maybe, maybe not," he said. "I'm summoning Dark Scorpion member Meanae the Thorn, in Attack Mode!" He put down the card bearing the image of the whip-wielding thief.

"You've got to be kidding," said Peter. "Her Attack is only 1,000!"

"But her Defense is 1,800," said Clive. "And I've also got this!"

He put down a Magic card – Shield and Sword!

"Flip-flop!" said Clive. "Now Meanae's Attack is 1,800, and your Archfiend's is 1,200! Attack!"

"D'oh!" said Peter.

"Looks like that's game," said Clive. He made a checkmark in a book. "And I believe the score is now tied…"

"Guys, stop already," said Mary. "You're going to get hamburger grease all over them!"

Yugi and Mary walked away from them. "I hate to admit it," said Yugi, "but they're getting awfully good…"

Mary chuckled again. "You might have some competition next week," she said.

Their eyes turned towards a classmate who was sitting on a stool playing a guitar. A crowd had formed around him.

He was a strange individual. His hair was light blond and fell to his shoulders, his skin had a golden tan, and his eyes were deep violet. He wore a set of old-fashioned "love beads" around his neck and a red bandana around his head. His voice was deep and charismatic.

He sang:

_How many roads must a man walk down  
Before you can call him a man?  
How many seas must a white dove sail  
Before she sleeps in the sand?  
How many times must the cannon balls fly  
Before they're forever banned? _

_The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,  
The answer is blowin' in the wind._

"Who is that?" asked Yugi.

"I don't know," said Mary. "He just transferred."

After the guitarist finished his song, he noticed the two of them. He strapped his guitar around his back, and walked up to them.

"Yugi, Mary," he said. "I'm glad I finally got a chance to meet you."

"Yes, and you are?" said Yugi.

"Remi," he said. "Remi Farikoh. I just transferred here; my parents recently moved here. I hear the two of you are quite good at Duel Monsters…"

"You like the game too?" said Yugi.

"I should say so," said Remi. "My uncle owns a gaming store in Cenron City."

He took out a pack of playing cards. "I've collected some of the rarest cards in the game; these are only a few of my favorites…"

He leafed through them. Among his cards was Injection Fairy Lily, Dark Ruler Ha Des, Gemini Elf, and…

"Judgment of Anubis?!" said Mary. "Who'd you have to kill to get THAT?!"

"The guy who owned it before me," said Remi.

Yugi looked at him.

"Joking!" laughed Remi. He took out a Monster card. "This guy's my favorite."

The card's name was "Super Adaptoid," a Machine/Dark Monster. The picture looked like a silver android with a featureless face, and its stats were 2,200 over 0.

"What does he do?" asked Yugi.

"They based this Monster after an old comic book character," said Remi. "And he has a very powerful effect. He starts with 2,200 Attack points and no Defense at all… but when he destroys an opponent's Monster, he takes on the Attack and Defense of the defeated Monster, as well as any effect powers of the victim. And he can enact this effect several times, with every Monster he destroys."

"Really?" said Mary. "So if he were to…" she skimmed through her deck, "weaken Jinzo here somehow and destroy him, his scores would become 2,400 over 1,500 and he'd get Jinzo's Trap dampening ability?"

"Yes, until such time as he destroyed another Monster. But you have to be careful when using Super Adaptoid… a good rule of thumb is never to attack a facedown Defense Monster with him, because the effect isn't optional, and an opponent can fool you into having him destroy a weak Monster."

"So," said Yugi. "Are you going to the big Duel Monster's Convention in New York next week?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," said Remi. "And when the tournament starts, maybe I can show you a thing or two."

"I don't know," said Mary. "He just transferred."

After the guitarist finished his song, he noticed the two of them. He strapped his guitar around his back, and walked up to them.

"Yugi, Mary," he said. "I'm glad I finally got a chance to meet you."

"Yes, and you are?" said Yugi.

"Remi," he said. "Remi Farikoh. I just transferred here; my parents recently moved here. I hear the two of you are quite good at Duel Monsters…"

"You like the game too?" said Yugi.

"I should say so," said Remi. "My uncle owns a gaming store in Cenron City."

He took out a pack of playing cards. "I've collected some of the rarest cards in the game; these are only a few of my favorites…"

He leafed through them. Among his cards was Injection Fairy Lily, Dark Ruler Ha Des, Gemini Elf, and…

"Judgment of Anubis?!" said Mary. "Who'd you have to kill to get THAT?!"

"The guy who owned it before me," said Remi.

Yugi looked at him.

"Joking!" laughed Remi. He took out a Monster card. "This guy's my favorite."

The card's name was "Super Adaptoid," a Machine/Dark Monster. The picture looked like a silver android with a featureless face, and its stats were 2,200 over 0.

"What does he do?" asked Yugi.

"They based this Monster after an old comic book character," said Remi. "And he has a very powerful effect. He starts with 2,200 Attack points and no Defense at all… but when he destroys an opponent's Monster, he takes on the Attack and Defense of the defeated Monster, as well as any effect powers of the victim. And he can enact this effect several times, with every Monster he destroys."

"Really?" said Mary. "So if he were to…" she skimmed through her deck, "weaken Jinzo here somehow and destroy him, his scores would become 2,400 over 1,500 and he'd get Jinzo's Trap dampening ability?"

"Yes, until such time as he destroyed another Monster. But you have to be careful when using Super Adaptoid… a good rule of thumb is never to attack a facedown Defense Monster with him, because the effect isn't optional, and an opponent can fool you into having him destroy a weak Monster."

"So," said Yugi. "Are you going to the big Duel Monster's Convention in New York next week?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," said Remi. "And when the tournament starts, maybe I can show you a thing or two."

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As the evening wore on, campfires were lit; students toasted marshmallows and made s'mores while others told ghost stories among the embers.

Where Yugi and his three friends were, they were listening to their pretty, red-haired classmate Cassie Black; somewhere in the discussion, traditional ghost stories made way to stories from mythology.

"The king was certain that Perseus would only rush headlong to his doom trying to complete the favor," said Cassie. "No man could face Medusa in combat, for a glimpse from her eyes could turn even the bravest warrior into cold, unliving stone.

"But he hadn't counted on the hero's divine allies. Perseus was met halfway to his destination by Hermes, the God of Thieves, and Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. They told him the danger involved in his quest, and lent him a tool to help him – a shield made of polished, reflective metal, in which he would be able to view the Gorgon indirectly like a mirror, protecting him from her deadly glare.

"But even then, his task would be far from easy. For you see, there was not one, but three Gorgons. And while Medusa was as mortal as a normal woman, her two sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal, impervious to harm. Perseus came upon the sisters while they were asleep, but he knew that if he attacked the wrong one, he would not survive long enough to find the right one…

"Because the sisters looked identical in every way, Perseus had to trust his faith and his luck. With a prayer to his father Zeus, he swooped down on one of them… and his choice was correct. He beheaded Medusa in one swift stroke.

"But as he claimed the grisly trophy, he realized the noise had awoken her sisters! Certainly, he would have fallen prey to them, but then a miracle occurred. From the cloven neck of Medusa sprang a creature as beautiful as the Gorgons were hideous – the winged stallion Pegasus! Quickly, Perseus mounted the magnificent steed and made his escape."

At this point, Yugi noticed that Mary looked sick to her stomach. She got up and walked away. Yugi followed.

"Too gory for you?" asked Yugi.

Mary turned to him, and a look of fear was in her eyes. "It wasn't the story, Yugi," she said. "It was the mention of that… that name…"

"What name?" said Yugi. "You mean… oh…"

He hugged her.

"I know, Mary, I know," he said, comforting her. "She was a monster. But trust me, that's all in the past. I told you about the arrangement… even if any members of her family still exist, they aren't allowed to touch us… divine law will prevent it. You do trust divine law, don't you?"

Mary sat down.

"I know," she said. "But I just can't imagine all the things your father and mine had to go through… and Pegasus wasn't the only one…"

"I know," said Yugi. "He told me all sorts of stories about the evils of the world… Monsters and madmen who sought power in one form or another. Bakura… Noah… Marik… Yeah, Marik was one of the worst. He had a _real_ Millennium Item, the Rod, a powerful device that could brainwash people and turn them into mind-controlled slaves. I never told you this, but he was even able to turn your dad against mine once…"

"Really?" said Mary, looking surprised.

"It was sadistic…" said Yugi. "He forced them both into a duel in which the loser would die horribly… it was a miracle that they were able to escape. But don't worry yourself about it… my dad eventually crushed that creep… he'll never hurt anyone again…"

Cassie came up to them. "What's the matter guys?" she said. "Don't care for mythology?"

"It's a long story Cass," said Yugi. "You seem to know a lot about Greek myth…"

"I know a lot about all kinds of myth," she said. "Greek, Norse… Egyptian… isn't Egypt the place where _that_ came from?" She pointed to his Millennium Puzzle.

"That's the story," said Yugi.

"It's a beautiful pendant," said Cassie. "Is it real gold?"

"Well, actually it's…" started Yugi.

Then he stopped. Cassie was sweating profusely.

"You okay, Cassie?" said Yugi.

Cassie held her head. It looked for a moment like she was having a seizure.

Then she smiled. "It's nothing," she said. "Just my 'time of the month.' Anyway, we can talk about that during the Convention."

"You duel too?" said Yugi. "What sort of cards do you have?"

"I'm not about to tell YOU, Yugi!" she said with a smile. "Maybe I'll surprise you during the tournament!"

She walked off to grab a soda from the ice chest. Yugi turned to Mary, who was still shaken.

"Here," said Yugi. "I have something that might cheer you up. I was going to give you this at the Convention, but what the hey…"

He took off his knapsack and searched through it.

"I got two of these new cards from my family's store," he said. "Advance copies from the new packs. There's one for each of us."

He gave one to Mary. It was a Monster card with a VERY interesting name:

"The Flame Swordmistress?!" said Mary in surprise.

It was too true. On the card was an image of a warrior-girl wearing a slimmer, feminine version of the Flame Swordsman's costume and a thinner sword. It was a Warrior/Fire Monster with stats of 1,600/1,500.

"Who is this, the Flame Swordsman's wife?!" said Mary.

"She isn't as strong as the Flame Swordsman," said Yugi, "But she has a powerful Effect. So long as she's on the field, all other allied Warriors gain a 300-point bonus to their Attack score."

"This is great!" said Mary. "I can't wait to try her out at the Convention!"

"Ah yes, the Convention," said Yugi.

"Just like last year," said Mary. "It should be an experience. It's like the immortal Frank Sinatra once said… 'If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere.'

"I think we can a big splash in New York!"

They hugged each other.

In the shadows away from the campfires, a figure was watching them.

"Oh, but you can…" said the figure.

He looked at a card in his hand… the Castle of Dark Illusions.

"Oh but you _will_!!"

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**FLAME SWORDMISTRESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description: **All face-up Warrior-Type Monsters you control except this one gain 300 Attack Points.

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**SUPER ADAPTOID (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description: **When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, this card assumes the ATK, DEF, Type, Attribute, and Effect(s) of the destroyed Monster (this is not optional). This effect lasts until it is used again.


	3. Preparations and Perceptions

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**Chapter Two**

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**Preparations and Perceptions**

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With one thing and another, a week went by. On the morning of the day before the Convention, Yugi, Mary, Clive, and Peter were in the waiting area at a boarding gate of the local airport. Their flight was scheduled to board in less than fifteen minutes.

Or so they thought.

As they sat there, an announcement came over the intercom: _"Ladies and gentlemen, Flight 307 to New York City's LaGuardia International Airport is experiencing a forty-five minute delay. We apologize for any inconvenience."_

Everyone moaned, including Yugi.

"Cheer up Yug," said Clive. "At least it will be more comfortable when we're actually on the plane…"

Yugi nodded. He couldn't deny that.

At that point Remi came walking into the waiting area. He looked at the friends in surprise.

"Hey, guys…" he said. "I guess we're on the same plane…"

"You sure lucked out," said Mary. "You might not have gotten here on time if not for the delay…"

"Well I had a little… trouble at security…" said Remi. "But you guys are the lucky ones. I suppose you'll all be flying first class… I'll have to spend the whole trip in coach."

"Well, we have about an hour to kill," said Clive. "Why don't you take out that guitar and keep us occupied?"

"Yeah, how about it?" said Peter. "You are pretty good…"

"Shucks," said Remi. "Whatever you say…"

He sat down and quickly tuned his guitar. "This little tune is usually played to violin music," he said, "but this guitar version is pretty catchy…"

He started to play a rousing but slightly intense tune. After a few seconds of playing, he sang:

"_The Devil went down to Georgia  
He was looking for a soul to steal  
He was in a bind cause he was way behind  
And he was willing to make a deal  
When he came across this young man  
Sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot  
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump  
And said, "Boy, let me tell you what_

"_I guess you didn't know it  
But I'm a fiddle player too  
And if you'd care to take a dare  
I'll make a bet with you  
Now you played pretty good fiddle, boy  
But give the devil his due  
I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul  
Cause I think I'm better than you."_

As Remi played the popular country song, everyone in the waiting area took notice… he _was_ very good. But all Yugi and his friends could think of was, of all the songs he could have chosen, why _that_ one? All it was to Yugi was a painful reminder of something he tried so hard to forget. Still, they didn't want to be rude, so they just waited for him to finish.

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Finally, the plane boarded, and the long flight to the concrete and steel series of canyons known as New York City began. When you're on a long flight, first class is a great way to travel, but it's quite expensive. Fortunately, Yugi and his three comrades were able to afford that luxury now, thanks to Anastasia Pegasus. She had been a snake, but at least her check for twelve million dollars had been a good one.

In the midst of the flight, Clive took out his deck and looked at his cards. He took out his favorite and studied it.

Don Zaloog, he thought. Leader of the Dark Scorpion gang… excellent effects, but he'd be better if he had a stronger Attack…

He looked at another card. Here's his friend Cliff the Trap Remover… even better effect, but an even worse Attack and Defense…

He took out the other three members of the Dark Scorpions and placed them on his tray table.

Meanae the Thorn, Gorg the Strong, Chick the Yellow… gee that's a weird name. If any of these guys are going to function in a serious duel, they're going to need some serious Equip cards…

He looked through his deck and placed a few cards down.

Stop Defense… that's good for a start. He looked at a few Equip cards… He looked at a Magic Card he had recently obtained…

He picked out a very fancy Trap card and smiled.

And if I somehow get all five of them on the field, this will win me the duel!

He looked at the five Warriors. He read through their effects. Strange, he thought, how a bunch of thieves work so well as a team… sort of like the way Yugi, Mary, Clive, and I worked as a team last year.

He gathered them up. I think I'll do just fine with these, he mused.

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Right behind him, Peter was doing the same thing with his cards. He tossed them down on his tray table.

Vilepawn Archfiend, he thought. Desrook Archfiend. Shadowknight Archfiend. Darkbishop Archfiend. Infernalqueen Archfiend…

He skimmed through them some more…

Ah, their leader, he thought, the Terrorking Archfiend!

He looked at two of them. You know, he thought, I could have sworn reading somewhere that in chess, the rook was considered the second most powerful piece… so why is the Desrook less powerful than the Shadowknight? Heck, even the Vilepawn is stronger! Sigh, I guess I'm just anal-retentive…

He skimmed through them some more and chuckled at the sight of his most powerful card: Dark Master Zorc.

Aw man, he thought. They'd kill me if they knew I was keeping this guy a secret…

He went through it some more, and took out two cards depicting female Monsters, one a beautiful priestess, and the other a sad-looking winged Fiend.

The Forgiving Maiden and Marie the Fallen One, he thought. Not too formidable themselves, but when fused together…

He picked out another Monster…

Not too shabby. Maybe that's how it works… Marie is a fallen angel cast from Heaven for sins of some sort… but when she receives a blessing of forgiveness from the Maiden, she ascends, becoming a creature of power and Light… sort of like how it went for Yugi when he was in that crazy… place. You have to give him credit… I probably would have just left Anastasia to be eaten…

He looked over to Yugi, who was reading a magazine (the title was _Dueling Today_).

I guess it's true what they say, "To err is human, to forgive is divine." And Yugi has become strange ever since that weird puzzle of his started acting up…

The plane flew on, towards their goal. In coach class, their classmate was sitting in his cramped seat with his eyes closed.

But he wasn't asleep. A lot was on his mind.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

New York… like the song goes, it's a hell of a town.

It was five PM when the group finally arrived at the hotel where the Convention would be held… enough time to rest up for the beginning of the festivities tomorrow. The whole lobby was full of young people, but the convention hall was closed, in the midst of final renovations.

As they checked in at the desk, they saw Cassie poking resting in an armchair in the lobby. She looked flushed, as if she were coming down with something.

Mary went up to her. "Cassie?" she said. "How long have you been here?"

"Huh? Oh, Mary," she said. "A couple of hours… my room had to be fixed up…"

"Are you alright?" said Mary. "You look terrible!"

"It's just jet-lag," she said.

Mary touched her hand. "Jet-lag?!" she said. "You're burning up!"

"It's just a low-grade fever!" said Cassie. "I'm not going to miss the Convention because of a little case of the flu!"

"Miss Black?" said a bellhop. "Your room is ready."

"Maybe I just need a good night's sleep," she said. She picked up her suitcase. "If you'll excuse me…"

She left, and Yugi came up behind Mary. "Is she okay?" he said.

"I don't know," said Mary. "Whatever is ultimately wrong with her, she's hiding it… call it women's intuition, but I think it's something more serious than jet-lag…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The night went by without incident, and the four members of the Team Supreme (as they were fond of calling themselves) were among the first ones to the convention hall when it opened at 10AM. And the huge room was like Shangri-La to a Duel Monster's player. From the smallest dealer's booth to the largest demonstration, Duel Monsters cards, toys, and paraphernalia were up for sale or trade. A few guests were waiting for demonstrations to start with friendly duels, but the actual tournament would not start until tomorrow. Not that there weren't a few Monsters already roaming the place. Yugi spied the Dark Magician Girl and the Celtic Guardian (or rather, actors dressed as them) signing autographs for some of the younger children.

"Hey look, Yugi," said Mary, pointing to a large stage. "Looks like Kaiba Corp. has something to show us."

Yugi looked, and on the stage was a man in a suit, under the Kaiba Corp. logo, flanked by two beautiful women in dresses. Behind him was a glass case containing a pair of odd objects. It looked like a demonstration was about to start.

The four of them joined the crowd to watch. They had heard that Pegasus Co. and Kaiba Corp. had been working on a joint venture since Anastasia's death. Perhaps this was the unveiling!

The man began to speak. "Our former chairman and president Mr. Seto Kaiba was an avid player of Duel Monsters," he began. "But like all players know, you can't be close to a dueling station at all times; and he was a little too proud to settle for plain old gaming mats most of the time. Thus, he created these interesting devices…" He pointed to the objects in the glass case. "The original portable Dueling Disk Holographic System… a pair of hand-held devices that could turn any place into an arena!

"However, Kaiba created these devices only for his personal use, and knew that public distribution was at that point impossible. They were far too expensive to mass-produce, and copyright violations made distribution at the time… well, illegal. Not to mention the fact that these original Disks are heavy things… prolonged use of them would quickly dislocate your shoulder!

"But today, thanks to improvements on the original model, the new Dueling Disks are far more lightweight, and easy to mass produce, and with Kaiba Corps new alliance with Pegasus Co, the creators of Duel Monsters, the Dueling Disk Holographic System will now become a reality for all Duel Monsters fans. Parents, start saving up, because this is going to be the hottest item this Christmas!

"My two assistants will now provide a brief demonstration of how these miraculous machines function. I must warn you, if anyone here is squeamish, they should excuse themselves. Dora and Debra?"

The two women stood thirty feet apart from each other each of them wearing a device similar to the one in the case, but more streamlined. One was red, the other was blue.

"Thanks Nick," said Dora (the one with the blue one). "First, we insert our decks into the handy deck holder in the center…"

They each put a deck of cards into the center. The number 2,000 appeared on a screen over the holders.

"Life Points are set to 2,000, and the duel begins!" said Debra. "We make five draws, and set the cards into the provided slots, like so!"

They drew, and placed the cards into slots above the deck.

"In honor of its designer, this brief demonstration will use cards he enjoyed using in his own deck," said Dora. "Now, I'll move first, and throw Mystic Horseman out in Attack Mode!"

She flicked her arm forward, and the Disk flew ten feet from her, attached to a cord. It started to spin, and the bestial centaur appeared, hovering over it, more lifelike than anything Yugi had ever seen! He shouted a bloodthirsty battle cry. Behind the Horseman, four large cards appeared in the air, with their faces towards Dora.

"As you can see," said Dora, not only does the disk summon my holographic Monster, but I can easily see the remaining cards in my hand! Also, the Attack and Defense scores of the Monster are clearly displayed both on mine and Debra's Disk console."

Debra showed her console up high, and the numbers 1,300 over 1,550 were clearly visible.

"Now," said Debra, "Let's see how her Horseman fares in Battle; I'll summon the Battle Ox in Attack Mode!"

She made the same motion, and her own Disk spun. The Beast-Warrior with his axe appeared and bellowed. The numbers 1,700 over 1,000 flashed on the Disks.

"Attack!" said Debra. Battle Ox charged forward, and with a swift stroke, beheaded the Horseman! The head fell on the floor, and the body slumped down.

"Aw, not too well," said Debra. "And as you see, the Disk immediately keeps score!"

The score on Dora's Disk went down to 1,500.

"And when it's my turn again, I simply double tap," said Dora. She hit a button twice and the Disk retracted with a "slunk" and flew back into place. "I draw, and make my next move! Judge Man, in Attack Mode!"

She flicked the Disk forward again, and the hammer-wielding Warrior and the four cards appeared again. "Attack!" said Dora. The Judge Man smashed Battle Ox on the skull with his gavel, and he fell, his helmet crushed. Debra's score went down to 1,500.

With that, Dora and Debra retracted both their Disks and powered them off. The crowd erupted into applause.

"And that's basically how it works," said the presenter. "The System recognizes all current cards, and can be updated with every new expansion deck. We expect the sticker price for a paired set to be forty dollars… quite less than the eight thousand it cost to build Kaiba's original prototype! Expect it to hit the stores this November, and reserve your set early!"

As the crowd began to disperse, Clive came up to Yugi. "That was… interesting," he said. "Say, I wonder if old Siegfried is around here?"

"I don't know," said Yugi. "I phoned him the other day, but he wasn't in. His housekeeper said he had 'some sort of business to attend to,' but she wouldn't elaborate.

"Still, those Disks were only toy versions of the original versions. My dad told me about how Seto Kaiba later developed a much more advanced version that you didn't have to spin like a top to use… They debuted in his Battle City tournament. Maybe Kaiba Corp thought that kids would just like the flash of the old version better."

"Huh," said Clive. "Well, I'm going to see if I can scope out some rare cards…"

After a while around the booths, he came upon a strange vendor. The sign above her booth said "Mistress of Darkness," and she was dressed in a costume similar to the comic book character Vampirella. Clive flinched when she looked at her.

"Come here," she purred, "I don't bite. Usually. Let me guess… a fellow duelist who has a penchant for Dark Monsters?"

"Well, I do have a lot of Dark Warriors…" said Clive. He looked at the cards in her display case.

"Hello…?" he said, eyeing a particular card. It was a Magic card bearing the picture of a green orb with an "N" on it and lightning bolts all around it. Its name was "Negative Energy."

"Ah, yes," said the vendor. "A very powerful Magic card there. When you play it, the Attack power of _all_ Dark Monsters on the field double… but you must be careful with it, for that includes your opponent's Monsters as well!"

"Huh," said Clive. "My Dark Scorpions could sure benefit from that…" he looked at the price. "Forty dollars? I'll take it!" He threw two twenties on the counter.

The vendor took the money and removed the card from the case. "You seem to spend money like it were water, my friend," she said with a look in her eye as she handed it to him.

"Money is no problem," whispered Clive. "Just don't broadcast it… I wouldn't want every merchant here knowing I've got deep pockets…"

"Deep pockets, hmm?" she said. "Would you like to see the… _special _merchandise?"

"What do you mean?"

She motioned to a tent made of dark burlap in the back. "I keep the most valuable stuff in there, for serious customers," she whispered. "Mums the word, because thieves thrive in these places."

"Well… sure, I guess so…" said Clive.

"Hey Sabrina!" she said to a teenage girl who was sitting behind her. "Mind the booth for a minute."

The vendor opened the door to the tent and put a light on. A display case was inside that at first seemed empty, but then she hit a switch, and the surface rotated in a circle, revealing several cards.

And what cards they were! Dark Monsters of the rarest of types. Dark Magician Girl, Dark Ruler Ha Des, and Vampire Lord. But one card stood out among them, with its holofoil picture and gilded writing.

"If you're looking for Dark Warriors," she said, "This one is the Darkest!"

"Is that really the Crescent Moon Queen?!" said Clive in amazement. He looked at the card – a fierce female Warrior with dark hair and obsidian armor clutching two silver scimitars. Her stats read 2,600 over 1,700.

"You know the history behind her," said the vendor. "She taught Gaia the Fierce Knight everything he knew! And her skill proves it – she can make TWO attacks every round… however, after making two attacks, she switches to Defense Mode automatically, which is always a risk."

"How much do you want for it?!" said Clive.

"One hundred fifty," said the vendor. "But you must admit, she's worth the price!"

"You've got it!" said Clive, opening his wallet.

As he left the tent and added the precious card to his deck, he started thinking, Wait until Yugi sees…

Wait… he thought. Maybe I'll give Yugi a little surprise with this little thing…

Meanwhile, Yugi, Peter, and Mary met each other in the center of the hall.

"Get anything interesting guys?" asked Yugi.

"Did I?" said Peter. "Behold the awesome power of Breaker the Magical Warrior!" He held the card aloft. "Good-looking guy, huh?"

"He can't hold a candle to this card I found," said Mary. "The Sword Hunter! This guy grows stronger with every foe he strikes down!"

"Well, next time my Dark Magician comes out, he's going to have some extra firepower," said Yugi. He lifted up a Magic card. "His favorite accessory, the Thousand Knives card!"

Clive came up. "Any luck, Clive?" said Yugi.

"A few small things," said Clive. "So who's hungry?"

It was getting on in the afternoon. It would be a good idea to get dinner and be well rested for when the tournament started.

As they left the convention hall, Mary spoke up. "Did either of you see Remi or Cassie in there?"

"Come to think of it, no," said Yugi. "But it was crowded…"

Mary shook her head. Deep down, something worried her. It wasn't a sense of danger exactly… but something strange was in the air…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

10:30 PM

In Cassie's apartment, the young girl's tossing and turning started to turn into thrashing.

"No!" she shouted. "Get out of my head! Get out!"

"You cannot win against me…" said a gentle voice inside her.

"Leave me alone!!" she screamed.

"Give in, for you cannot win… let me in…"

"NO!" she shouted "NO! No…no…n…"

And then she went limp.

She had lost.

Her eyes opened, and a slight smile crossed her face.

"At last," said a voice that wasn't hers. "You fought a noble fight, girl, but now you must sleep forever… and I am free once more."

She got out of bed, and crossed to a suitcase.

"What is it with young girls and their jewelry?" she said. "This was the easiest one yet… and this may be a woman's body, but it will suffice."

She lifted a gold object out of the suitcase, one which years earlier had been a symbol of evil for the sires of her friends. She lifted the strap over her neck and held it up to the light.

"I know what that fool who calls himself the Heir is planning," she said, looking in the mirror, "but the power of the Millennium Ring will make certain that I am unscathed by his ceremony. Then, finally, my plans will begin anew… I will get what I want from him… and from Yugi's pathetic offspring…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

11:45 PM.

In another room of the same hotel, other insidious plans were being made, not by a malevolent spirit, but by a young living man acting via his own free will.

"Imagine," he said. "My plans could have been halted by simple minded security guards, if I had not… ah, persuaded them. But that is all in the past."

He lifted out of a suitcase a different golden object, another one that had been nothing but a symbol for evil for Yugi and Mary's fathers. He looked out the window.

"The stars and the moon are in the proper alignment," he said. "The stage is set… the ceremony of summoning can commence…"

He took a red laundry marker from his bag, and drew a circle on the floor, flanked by designs depicting Egyptian hieroglyphics. He took out several candles made of black wax and set them alight. Finally, he placed a special object in the center – the Duel Monsters card depicting the Castle of Dark Illusions.

He sat in lotus position, and as the clock struck midnight, he started to chant in a language long forgotten by most men, gripping the golden object in both hands.

Slowly, a wave of dark magic started to seep from his room, from the hotel, and into the unsuspecting city…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CRESCENT MOON QUEEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description: **This card can attack twice in one Battle Phase. After making a second attack in one Battle Phase, move this card into face-up Defense Position.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NEGATIVE ENERGY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A letter E, crackling with energy.

**Card Description: **Double the ATK of all DARK Monsters on the field.

_Note: This card was first used in the original anime episode "Champion versus Creator, Part One". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._


	4. Darkness Approaches

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Three**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Darkness Approaches**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark corridors of Yugi Muto Jr.'s mind, the path split into two chambers.

In one lay the soul of Yugi himself. He was asleep right now, in a blissful slumber where dreams of past victories and future hopes filled his head. He was now completely unaware of the evil fog that was spreading over the city he was now residing in.

In the other chamber, one dank and cold, brooded the enigmatic Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. As a bodiless, immaterial being, he did not need sleep; but he did need rest, which he did by constant meditation. No one other than himself knew why he had decided to aid young Yugi (and his father before him), and certainly, doing so required a great deal of restraint. He could see through his young partner's eyes and hear through his ears, but most of the time he was helpless to manipulate Yugi's actual body. If he chose to, he could have enslaved Yugi's body a long time ago, just as the Spirit of the Millennium Ring was fond of doing; but instead, HE chose to submit himself to a virtual state of slavery, residing in a body that he would never own.

Why he had made that choice, none knew. But it took a strain on his soul to do so. And only through his constant meditation could he keep he restraint and self-control. He feared that without his ability to lapse into the trance, he might well go mad.

But at around three AM, he awoke with a start. He clutched his head as he came to awareness of what was happening. Fear unlike any he had ever felt before came over him.

Such… power! he thought. Evil… incredible evil! Covering this whole city!

"Yugi!" he shouted out. "Yugi, wake up! For the love of Heaven, wake up!"

Yugi awoke with a start. "What is it?" he said.

He reached for the Puzzle, which was hanging by his bedside and put it around his neck.

"What is it?!" he said inside his mind. "Calm down and…"

"Yugi, listen!" said the Spirit. "Something horrible is happening! A magical tide of pure evil is covering the whole city! This is something greater than I've encountered in centuries!"

"What?" said Yugi. "What can we do?!"

"We can't stop it," said the Spirit. "I don't even know its purpose yet. But if we concentrate, perhaps we can protect Mary, Peter, Clive, and ourselves from whatever it is doing!

"Think hard, Yugi," he continued. "And don't let up!"

Yugi concentrated, as did his partner. For a long time they sat in silence. While they sat in the darkened room, Yugi started to feel it too – a cold chill was in the air, and something reeking of evil was surrounding him.

He noticed something else too, eventually. When he had awakened, the sound of cars and other city sounds came from the open window. Now, they slowly started to quiet down, until by 3:30, there was only silence.

Eventually, Yugi spoke.

"Do you have any idea who is behind this?" he said.

"I believe this dark tide is a combined effort of two evil beings working in tandem," said the Spirit. "One is a powerful evil, the other is an _overwhelmingly_ powerful evil!"

"Any idea who they are?"

The lesser one I think I recognize…" said the Spirit. "Somebody with a connection to someone I've dealt with before… I can't say for sure who just yet…

"But the stronger one… I have no idea. It seems to be something… inhuman, completely alien. Something that seems to be practically evil incarnate… whatever it is, it isn't going to be pretty…"

Yugi changed the subject. "How are Mary, Clive, and Peter?"

"Their sleep is full of nightmares, but they are safe."

"Good. We'll have to get them as soon as the coast is clear… if it ever is…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At six AM, the Spirit spoke up:

"Okay Yugi, I think the actual effect has run its course," he said. "But thread cautiously, for evil is still in the air."

Yugi went to the window. "You're telling me!" he said.

Despite the fact that it was six AM, the sky was pitch black. He looked down at the street. Not a soul was about, and cars and trucks had stopped dead in their tracks.

Yugi grabbed the remote, and turned on the television. There was nothing on it but static, on every station.

He picked up the phone. It was dead.

He had to get to his friends. He prayed they were all right. He pulled on some fresh clothes and ran out the door to his room.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It didn't take long to collect Mary, Clive, and Peter. They were just as confused as he was.

"What's with the eclipse?" said Clive.

"It isn't an eclipse," said Yugi.

They rode the elevator down to the lobby of the hotel. It was deserted.

"Something terrible has happened," said Yugi. "The question is, what?"

All of a sudden, his cell phone rang. He paused and then answered it.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hello Yugi!" said a high male voice on the other end. It sounded like Jim Carrey at his craziest. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Who is this?!" demanded Yugi.

"No one you would know," said the voice. "But if you want information on what's going on, you and your friends just exit the hotel's main entrance and walk south."

"For how long?"

"You'll know when you get there," said the voice. "And all of you, bring your decks!"

He hung up.

"Why do I feel we're about to follow a lion into his den?" said Mary.

"We have little choice," said Yugi. "Let's go."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As soon as they hit the street, they knew something was wrong. Aside from the fact that the sky was dark as pitch, the streets that were usually busy as ever were now deserted. Not a soul was around on the Manhattan street. Cars, trucks, and even a bus or two occupied the streets, but they were stopped, and their occupants were gone. The silence was broken only by the wind, which occasionally blew around pieces of newspapers and other trash.

"Usually when a city like this is deserted, flesh-eating zombies are involved," said Peter.

"You watch too many movies," said Mary.

"Yeah," said Peter. "I feel like we're right in the middle of _The Omega Man_ here."

"Come on guys," said Yugi. "We'll get to the bottom of this…"

They started to walk south, through the eerie, empty streets. Three blocks down the road they came to a stop.

A holographic dueling station had been placed right in the middle of the street.

"What in the world?" said Mary. "That's a strange place to put a station."

"On the contrary," said a strange voice, "It's the perfect place for _this_ particular station!"

A young man came into view from behind the station. He was a bizarre sight, with a heavy mane of blonde hair, an ugly scar on his cheek, and dark glasses. He wore a leather sleeveless jacket and jeans, and had a huge tattoo of a tiger on his left arm.

"Glad you could make it Yugi," he said.

"Who are you, and what has happened to this place?!" demanded Yugi.

"One question at a time, bud," said the punk. "They call me Frenzy… in dueling circles around here, they called me the King of Beasts!"

Yugi just glared at him.

"And as for what has happened around here," he continued, "you'll only find out if you manage to defeat me at this station. So are you feeling lucky?"

Yugi's Puzzle came to life, and his two spirits merged. The change overtook him.

"I won't be intimidated by some punk," said Yugi. "So just lead the way!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and Frenzy took their seats, and the chairs lifted them into position over the station in front of the consoles.

"C'mon Yugi, kick his keister!" said Clive.

"We'll see whose keister gets kicked," said Frenzy. "And by the way, I forgot to mention, there's a little extra rule for this particular contest…"

"Meaning?" said Yugi.

Frenzy chuckled and pushed a button on his console. Suddenly, a pair of leather straps fastened themselves across Yugi's chest!

He tried to struggle against them, but they were locked in place! As he looked at his opponent, he saw that similar restraints had grasped him as well.

"A little tight?" said Frenzy. "Good. Don't bother struggling, cause you're strapped in for the duration. Now let me explain what the rules are. This is not only a dueling station, it's a trap!"

"What?!" said Yugi.

"When this contest is over," said Frenzy, "the winner's restraints will come undone. Thirty seconds later, the two-hundred pounds of TNT inside this station will detonate, blowing it, and the loser, sky high!"

Yugi stared at him. "You're willing to make such a risk over a game like this?" he said.

"Too late now," said Frenzy. "I don't have the ability to undo the straps any other way. And if you refuse to play, my master will detonate the explosives by remote control."

He turned to Yugi's friends. "And he'll do the same thing if any of you think about looking for some bolt cutters or anything like that!"

"Your master?" said Yugi.

"You'll learn his name if you survive," said Frenzy.

This guy must be insane, thought Yugi. I have no choice.

He put his deck on the console.

"Fine," he said. "Let's duel!"

"Oh Yugi…" said Mary. "You have to win… if you don't…"

"Have faith, Mary," said Peter. "This clown will never beat him."

They drew their hands. The scores on the machine set to 2,000.

"The first move is yours," said Frenzy.

"Fine," said Yugi. "I summon Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the swordsman garbed in gray appeared, his blade drawn. (1,700/1,600)

"Heh, heh," said Frenzy. "That guy looks tough, but I have something tougher. Leogun, in Attack Mode!"

Yugi raised his eyebrows. Frenzy put the card down, and a massive lion appeared. (1,750/1,550)

"Attack!" said Frenzy. "Bestial rage attack!"

Leogun pounced on Dai Grepher, tearing him apart! Yugi's Life Points went down to 1,950.

"The first victim of my Beasts," said Frenzy, "and he won't be the last."

Yugi drew… and then sighed.

"I'll play one card facedown," he said, "and then summon the Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode."

He put the cards down, and the armored elf appeared with his sword draw. (1,400/1,200)

"Ha!" said Frenzy. "You're trying to bluff me, but I can see in your face how worried you are! You know you're gonna die, so you have a lousy poker face! Leogun, attack!"

Leogun charged forward…

Yugi smiled and flipped his facedown card over. "Go Celtic Guardian!" he said.

The Kunai with Chain appeared in the Guardian's hands, and he threw it, snaring Leogun!

"How's that for a poker face?" said Yugi. "The Kunai halts Leogun, and raises Celtic Guardian's Attack power to 1,900!

"Celtic Guardian, counter-attack! Silver blade slash!"

The Guardian brought his sword down on the lion, beheading it. Frenzy's Life Points fell to 1,850.

"Humph," said Frenzy. "So you fooled me. But I've got more where that came from. I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown, and summoning Flower Wolf in Defense Mode."

He set the cards, and a wolf covered with blossoms appeared and sat. (1,800/1,400)

"Now _you're_ the one bluffing," said Yugi, making a draw. "Celtic Guardian, attack the Flower Wolf!"

The Guardian rushed forward and sliced the Wolf apart.

"I knew that was no Trap," said Yugi. "Make your move."

"I will," said Frenzy, "And actually this WAS a trap…"

He flipped it over, showing a Trap card depicting warriors discarding their armor.

"A little thing called Disarmament!" said Frenzy. "Which will destroy your Guardian's Kunai, along with the benefit!"

The Celtic Guardian's Kunai with chain crumbled into dust… he gasped and his Attack power reverted to 1,400.

"Now I'll summon the Berserk Gorilla in Attack Mode!" said Frenzy.

He placed the card down, and a huge gorilla with smoke pouring from his nostrils appeared! (2,000/1,000)

"Go Berserk Gorilla!" shouted Frenzy. "Berserk flaming breath attack!"

The Gorilla shot forth a stream of flame, blasting the Celtic Guardian to particles! Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,350.

"Oh no!" shouted Mary.

"Don't give up Yugi!" said Clive.

Yugi drew.

"Well, Frenzy," said Yugi. "That Gorilla is quite a Monster… but it was a reckless mistake to use it."

"What do you mean?" said Frenzy. "He just blasted away 600 points off your Life Points."

"I know about the Berserk Gorilla's handicap," said Yugi. "It _must_ attack every round it's on the field, and if you shift it to Defense Mode, it will be destroyed. Thus, I will now play the Mystical Elf, in Defense Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the blue-skinned elf appeared, chanting her mantra. (800/2,000)

"And more importantly, I'll give her this Equip card – the Diamond Necklace!"

"Diamond Necklace?" said Frenzy. "What does that do?"

"It works only on female Monsters," said Yugi. "And it increases their Attack by 800, and their _Defense_ by 400!"

He put the card down. A gorgeous diamond necklace appeared around the Elf's neck, and her stats changed to 1,600 over 2,400. Frenzy gasped.

"I'm ending my turn now," said Yugi. "So, do you have a Monster that can destroy my Elf?"

Frenzy drew.

"No!" he said, nearly panicking.

"Then what are you waiting for, Berserk Gorilla?" said Yugi. "Attack my Mystical Elf!"

The Gorilla fired its breath weapon at the Elf, but she was unscathed. Frenzy's Life Points fell to 1,350.

"Way to go, Yugi!" said Mary. "Great strategy!"

"And now the scores are tied," said Clive.

"I'm ending my turn…" said Frenzy.

"Then I think I'll just draw and end mine," said Yugi. "After all, you're doing a great job of doing yourself in!"

He'll regret that, thought Frenzy, as he drew.

"This will cost me some Life Points," he said. "But I'll first get rid of the Gorilla by switching him to Defense."

He turned the card, and the Gorilla exploded. Frenzy's Life Points fell to 1,100.

"Now I'll lay one card facedown," he said. "And summon Des Kangaroo in Defense Mode."

He put the cards down, and a green kangaroo wearing boxing gloves appeared,. (1,500/1,700)

The Des Kangaroo? thought Yugi. "Now that's a Monster I _don't_ know much about… That facedown card worries me, but I've got to try to get rid of it.

"Here's a Monster that a friend of mine named Jade gave me," said Yugi. "I summon the Tengu Warrior, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a humanoid raven-like creature dressed in a kimono and carrying an oriental sword appeared. (1,800/600)

"Tengu Warrior, dive bombing katana slash attack!" commanded Yugi.

The Winged Beast spread its wings and flew at the Des Kangaroo with its sword…

"Activate trap!" said Frenzy. "Castle Walls!"

"What?" said Yugi.

Frenzy turned over his card, depicting a huge fortress. The Des Kangaroo's Defense score went up to 2,200!

But then the unthinkable happened – as the Tengu Warrior swooped down, the Des Kangaroo hit it with a savage uppercut! The Tengu squawked and then vanished.

"How could he have attacked when in Defense Mode?!" said Yugi.

"He didn't 'attack', technically," laughed Frenzy. "Whenever an opponent who's Attack score is lower than the Des Kangaroo's Defense Score attacks the Des Kangaroo, the attacker is destroyed! That's why I set the Castle Walls Trap to temporarily increase its Defense. Now, you not only lose 400 Life Points for attacking a Defense Monster with too high a Defense, but your Tengu is toast!"

Yugi's Life Points dove to 500.

Damn, he thought. That was a good strategy.

"I'll finish by laying Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode," said Yugi. And also one card facedown."

He put the cards down, and the Warrior made of Black Metal appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"Nice," said Frenzy. "And I'll just summon the Mad Dog of Darkness, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a savage dog with golden fur appeared. (1,900/1,400)

"Attack Gearfried!" said Frenzy. "Mad bite of fury attack!"

The Mad Dog charged forward, but Yugi flipped up his facedown card. The Beast was halted in his tracks.

"I figured you'd try attacking Gearfried," said Yugi, "so I placed a Negate Attack Trap."

"Humph," said Frenzy. "Well it will only shield you for one turn. Your move now."

Yugi drew.

"I'll first use Red Medicine, to restore my Life Points!" he said.

He put the card down, and the red vial appeared over the field. His Life Points rose to 1,000.

"Now, Gearfried, attack the Des Kangaroo!" he said. "Iron blade attack!"

The Iron Knight brought his sword down on the Kangaroo, blasting him out of existence.

"Nice shot," said Frenzy. "Too bad it was still in Defense Mode."

He drew. And then he laughed.

"I don't like this," said Mary.

"I'm going to Equip my Mad Dog of Darkness with _this_," said Frenzy, "the Beast Fangs!"

He put the card down, and the Mad Dog's teeth grew. Its Attack score went up to 2,200.

"Now, let's try this again!" said Frenzy. "Mad Dog of Darkness, attack Gearfried!"

The Mad Dog pounced, and Gearfried shattered into pieces. Yugi's Life points fell to 600.

"I have you on the ropes now!" said Frenzy. "Soon I'll be the King of the Jungle!"

"We'll see," said Yugi, drawing. "I summon Gaia the Fierce Knight!"

He put the card down, and Gaia appeared astride his steed. The numbers 2,300 over 2,100 flashed.

"But I won't attack just now," said Yugi. "Your move."

Frenzy looked puzzled.

He could destroy my Mad Dog now, he thought, so why didn't he?

He drew and looked at his cards.

Maybe this will dissuade him from doing so.

"I'll just lay this card facedown," he said. "And that will be all for my turn."

"Good," said Yugi. "First, I'll summon Curse of Dragon!"

He put the card down, and the large Dragon appeared next to Gaia with the numbers 2,000 over 1,500.

"And then I'll use my Polymerization card," said Yugi, "to bring them both together!"

He put the card down, and the two Monsters blurred together; a spiral appeared where the two met.

"I create Gaia the Dragon Champion!" said Yugi.

The fused Monster appeared in all his glory. (2,600/2,100)

"Take to the air, my Dragon Champion!" shouted Yugi. "Destroy the Mad Dog of Darkness with double dragon lance attack!"

Gaia dive-bombed the Beast, skewering him with his lance. Frenzy's Life Points fell to 700.

"All right!" said Clive. "Yugi's still behind, but it's close, and he has one of his strongest Monsters on the field!"

"C'mon Yugi," yelled Mary.

Frenzy growled. He drew.

And then he grinned from ear to ear. He burst out laughing.

"The end is near Yugi!" he said. "You might have thought Leogun was fierce, but prepare to meet the _true_ King of Beasts!"

He put the card down. "This may not technically be a Beast, but he serves my purposes just fine! Garnecia Elefantis, in Attack Mode!"

A huge, hulking, humanoid elephant appeared (2,400/2,000)

He let out a loud trumpet!

"They may be plant-eating herbivores, but even the fiercest jungle predators dare not challenge the raw, crushing power of a pachyderm!" said Frenzy. "And if you're thinking his Attack strength is too low, wait until you see what this facedown card is!"

He picked it up.

"The Horn of the Unicorn!" he said.

Yugi's eyes opened wide.

Frenzy slapped it down, and a long horn appeared on Elefantis's forehead.

"Its primordial power increases Elefantis's Attack all the way up to 3,100!" gloated Frenzy.

"Good lord!" exclaimed Mary. "Now that thing is stronger than a Blue-Eyes!"

"Garnecia Elefantis," said Frenzy. "Attack the Dragon Champion with charging tusks attack!"

The Beast-Warrior trumpeted and charged, blowing Gaia away. Yugi's Life Point's dropped to 100.

"You're only a mere 100 points away from a fiery death!" gloated Frenzy. "Are you scared, Yugi? Scared that doom is only moments away?"

Yugi didn't respond. He drew.

A Magic card, he thought. This could win me the duel, but I can't use it yet… I'll just have to make do…

"I'll play a card facedown," he said, laying it down. "And end my move."

"Fine," said Frenzy. "I'm taking out that stupid Mystical Elf of yours next! Garnecia Elefantis, attack!"

The Monster bowled over the Mystical Elf, and she vanished.

"Make your move, Yugi," he gloated. "Not that it will make a difference…"

It all depends on the next draw, thought Yugi. But I know the Heart of the Cards won't desert me…

He drew. He looked at the card and then looked at Frenzy with a slight smile.

"What?" said Frenzy. "Why are you looking at me like that? A look of content? Have you accepted the fact that you're going to die? Hah!"

"No Frenzy," said Yugi. "That look is a look of satisfaction… satisfaction because I know I'm about to win. And this Monster is the one that will do it."

He put the card down. "He's my favorite, in fact. Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!"

The lavender-garbed sorcerer materialized, and stared at Garnecia Elefantis. (2,500/2,100)

"Hah!" said Frenzy. "As strong as he is, he can't defeat my Beast-Warrior!"

"Not by himself," said Yugi. "But I also have this Magic card that I put down last turn; and it's _his_ favorite!"

He lifted it up.

"The Thousand Knives card!" said Yugi.

"Huh?" said Frenzy. "What does that do?"

"It can only be played when the Dark Magician is on the field," said Yugi. "And it allows him to automatically destroy any one Monster, regardless of its Attack score!"

"WHAT?!" gasped Frenzy.

Yugi placed it down. "Face it," he said. "You're finished. Dark Magician, dark rain of blades attack!"

The Dark Magician raised his arms, and a flurry of knives fell from the sky, skewering Garnecia Elefantis! Frenzy's Life Points fell to zero!

The straps restraining Yugi fell off, and a buzzer started to sound on all sides of the station. It looked like Frenzy had not been kidding!

Yugi quickly gathered his cards and leapt from his seat. "Run everybody, run!" he shouted.

As they ran, they could hear Frenzy shouting behind them. "Don't think you've won yet!" he screamed. "I was only the first! There are more waiting! You will all perish in the…"

And then the duel station exploded, knocking the four friends to the pavement.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When they came to their senses, they found that they had suffered nothing more than a few bruises.

"Where's Clive?" said Mary.

"You're sitting on him!" shouted Clive.

"Sorry."

"Guys," said Yugi. "This is all well and good, but we're no closer to finding out what the story is here; and lest I remind you, a man was willing to die for whoever is behind this…"

Then his cell phone rang again.

He answered it.

"All right," he said, "now who's this?"

The voice on the line sounded familiar, but was quite sinister, and seemed to have a slight accent.

"Hello Yugi," said the voice. "Since my trapped dueling station exploded and I'm speaking to you now, I guess I can assume that you were victorious. Oh well… Frenzy was among my least powerful of minions."

"Who the hell are you?!" demanded Yugi. "And what have you done to the city?"

"I won't tell you over the phone," said the voice. "All of you come to Time's Square, in front of the big screen, and we'll have a nice talk there."

He hung up.

"Where have I heard that voice before?" said Yugi. "C'mon guys, we have to go to Time's Square… and it's a long walk."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Walking through downtown Manhattan makes you nervous at the best of times.

When the whole city is empty of citizenry and the sky is dark as midnight, it's plain scary.

Eventually, they made their way to the heart of New York, the place known as Time's Square. Although no people were present, the flashing signs and lights were still promoting their advertising. The big screen was still showing its current digital commercial.

"Okay!" shouted Yugi. "We're here! Now what's going on!"

A rumble like thunder sounded, and red lightning started to strike in the sky above.

The four friends looked up in fear, as a huge shape started to appear above the skyscrapers…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TENGU WARRIOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 600

**Flavor Text: **_This vicious, sword-wielding creature rushes into battle without fear. No one can tell whether it is brave or just foolhardy._


	5. How Green Was My Goblin?

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Four**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**How Green Was My Goblin?**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The four friends looked up in terror as a shape started to appear out of the dark fog to the flashes of lightning. It was big, bulky, and ugly looking.

"What in the name of Obelisk the Tormentor…" said Yugi. His mind and the mind of the Spirit were still merged, but even his partner was frightened by the display.

Eventually the structure above them could be clearly seen. It was a dark fortress, floating above the highest skyscrapers, and was easily the size of the Yankee Stadium.

"What the Hell…?" said Clive.

"It looks like…" said Mary. "Sort of like… the Castle of Dark Illusions!"

It was only too true. They recognized it now. An enormous Castle of Dark Illusions was hovering over Manhattan, in all its fiendish glory!

At that point, they heard the loud sound of static, and they noticed that the big screen in the middle of Times Square had gone out. They looked at it for a moment, and then a face appeared.

They couldn't believe it; it was Remi. But he looked a lot different than he was the last time than they saw him. His features were sharper, more feral… more evil.

"Hello everyone," he said, with his voice coming from a speaker. "So glad you could make it. Welcome to New York… or as I like to call it now, the City of Souls!"

"Remi?!" said Yugi. "What have you done? How have you done this?! What is this abomination above us?!"

"I believe I'll answer the second question first," he said. "Do you recognize this, Yugi?"

He bent down and lifted up a long golden staff.

"The Millennium Rod!!" shouted Yugi.

"The what?" said Mary.

"A Millennium Item," said Yugi. "One of incredible power. My father's old enemy Marik used it… but I thought it had been lost!"

He turned back to the screen. "How did you get that thing, Remi?!" he demanded.

Remi chuckled. "Someone who loves games as much as you ought to like anagrams," he said.

"Anagrams?" said Yugi.

At that point, the name "REMI FARIKOH" appeared on the screen below him.

He then waved his hand, and the letters slowly began to rearrange themselves, eventually forming three words:

"HEIR OF MARIK."

"Heir of Marik?" said Clive.

Yugi stared at Remi. "Who the devil are you, Remi?" he said. "Marik's son? His disciple? Some sort of admirer, if such a thing's possible?"

"That is for me to know, and you to find out," said Remi. "But I will tell you that this Castle was a work in progress for him, before your father finally did him in. Once I recovered his Rod, I was able to finish construction, and just last night, I summoned it here from the Shadow Realm, where its full power could be unleashed.

"You're probably wondering where the twenty-five million residents of this city are right now. Well, they're safe, for the moment. The power of my Castle has imprisoned them in the Shadow Realm, where they are blissfully resting in eternal slumber."

"You fiend!" said Yugi. "I'm going to…"

"You'll what?!" said Remi. "I'm up here in the Castle, and even if you could fly, its defenses would just shoot you down. And if you think you can leave the city and come back with help, forget it. The Castle has also covered all five boroughs with a dome of dark energy. Liquids and gasses can pass through it, so the East River won't dam up and YOU won't suffocate, but nothing solid can come in or out unless I desire. And no form of communication can get though either, be it telephone, e-mail, or otherwise. It is only through my good graces that the power grid continues to run. In fact, if you want to know, the combined forces of the U.S. Army, Marines, and Coast Guard are making numerous attempts as we speak to blast their way through… they can't so much as scratch it. If you want to get up here and save this city, you four are going to have to earn it."

Yugi was beside himself in anger, but he knew he had little choice. "How do we 'earn it'?" he said.

"Glad you asked," said Remi. "In several locations around my City of Souls, I've set up dueling stations; at each one, one of my henchmen awaits. A few are mind-controlled slaves…"

He tapped the top part of his Rod.

"… but most are just people I have made bargains with, who wish to serve me via their own free will," he continued. "You're just going to have to defeat them one at a time if you want to get to me.

"And incidentally, to make sure Yugi doesn't do the job by himself, THEY will decide which of the four of you they will duel! Don't worry, you'll all get a chance!

"Every time you defeat one of them, you'll get a message with a clue that will guide you to the location of the next duelist. And by the way, like your duel with Frenzy, these duels are played for keeps. The winner gets to keep his life… the loser suffers the same fate as his Monsters!"

"You're twisted…" said Yugi.

"Any questions before I send you off?" said Remi, not seeming to notice the last remark.

"Only one," said Yugi. _"Why?"_

Remi laughed. "You'll find out when, and if, you ever make it up here. But I wouldn't dawdle people… the lives of twenty-five million people are riding on you! Duel as if your life depended on it… because it does!"

He vanished from the screen.

The four friends looked at each other.

"Well that was just…" said Mary.

Then Remi reappeared on the screen.

"Oops, I almost forgot!" he said. "Here's your first clue, courtesy of the Red Archery Girl!"

He vanished again, and the Red Archery Girl appeared in front of the screen.

She drew her bowstring back, and shot an arrow down towards the four of them! They scattered, and the arrow embedded itself in the pavement.

The Red Archery Girl giggled and then vanished.

Yugi approached the arrow, and saw that a slip of paper was tied around it. He picked it up and read it:

_Where Batman and the Mighty Thor_

_Stand side-by-side with Skeletor,_

_You'll find the man you're looking for._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep in the heart of his floating Castle, Remi looked down upon them.

"Well! That went pretty well, I must say so," he said.

He picked up a tool from a pedestal that resembled a small watering can made of gold with a flared end on the spigot and dark runes painted on it.

He was fond of calling this device "The Siphon."

He turned to a large object that dominated the middle of the room. It was a huge gemstone bigger than himself, blacker than pitch, with no shine. Next to it, was a slate, with glowing numbers: 00.00

He sighed. "I really didn't expect Yugi to lose that first duel, but if he had, it would have made my job a good deal easier. His soul is selfless, noble, and heroic… with his essence I might have had all the energy I need.

"On the other hand, Frenzy's soul was vile and rotten. I doubt his essence will have even one percent of what I need.

"Oh well, every little bit will help."

He pressed the spigot of the Siphon up to the huge gemstone; it glowed for a moment, and the number changed to 00.45.

"Not even _half_ of one percent," sighed Remi. "Oh well. The four of them can't win forever. As soon as they crack that riddle, the real fun can begin…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well, now we know the real reason Remi has those valuable cards in his deck," said Yugi. "He obviously uses a gang of Rare Hunters like Marik did, who hunt down rare cards and use every dirty trick in the book to obtain them. They likely DID kill whoever originally owned that Judgment of Anubis card."

"We won't get anywhere unless we solve this riddle," said Clive.

"Batman, Thor, and Skeletor," said Peter. "Sounds like a comic book store. But there are dozens of comic book stores in this city."

"Wait a second," said Clive.

He took out of his knapsack a book that was labeled _The Teenager's Guide to the Big Apple._

"It says, 'stand side by side,' with each other," he said. "And I remember looking in here and seeing a comic book store that had a small wax museum depicting several comic book heroes and villains on their third floor…"

He skimmed through. "Here it is," he said. "Gotham Comics Emporium. Here's a picture of a part of their wax museum."

The picture showed several statues, and sure enough, statues of Batman, Thor, and Skeletor were right next to each other.

"And it says that this place is known for their Duel Monsters tournaments," he said. "I'd bet my secret rares that we have to go there."

"Well what are we waiting for?" said Mary. "Where is it?"

"Twenty blocks from here," said Clive. "Let's go."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A long walk later through the empty streets, they came within sight of the three-story building where Manhattanites went when they were serious about buying comic books and collectibles. Gotham Comics Emporium had comic books that were rarer than a Firewing Pegasus, bins full of rare comics from the Silver Age and even rarer comics from the Golden Age. If you wanted an issue of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first ever appearance of Spider-Man, they had a near-mint issue of one in an unbreakable, bulletproof display case, and you could have it if you had $155,000.00 (cash, money order, or certified check only). You could get nearly anything there if you were willing to pay.

The four friends slowly walked in the front door. The lights were on, and racks full of new comics, magazines, and other books surrounded them.

"Hello?" said Mary.

"Come up to the second floor, people," said a husky voice.

They started to the stairway. "That's it," he continued. "Just follow my voice."

They went up the stairs, and entered the second floor of the complex, where the more valuable items were kept, hanging on the wall and in cases. A dueling station was in the center of the large room, and standing beside it was a large man.

He was a portly man in his mid-twenties, with long, auburn hair tied into a ponytail. His eyes were small and beady. He wore a long, green overcoat and two odd-looking wristbands.

"Well, well," he said. "So these are the chumps that Farikoh sent me… this will be like taking candy from a tribble!"

"Who the heck are you?" said Mary.

"I am the master of monstrosities," he said. "I am the dominator of duelists… I am… Big Ben!"

"A comic book fan with an attitude," said Clive. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots."

"Appearances are deceiving," said Ben. "I made it to the final round of last years ComicsCon Big Apple Duel Monsters Tournament!"

"Really," said Yugi. "I was the champion at Anastasia Pegasus's Duelist Labyrinth Tournament!"

"Thanks for the warning blondie," he said. "In that case, I won't duel you!"

He looked at the other three for a moment.

"You!" he said, pointing to Mary. "You with the pigtails!"

"What?" said Mary.

"I'll take you on!" he said.

No! thought Yugi. Mary's good, but can she duel under conditions like this?

Mary paused.

"What's the matter, girl?" said Ben. "Scared?"

"Even if I am," said Mary. "I'm willing to do what it takes! Bring it on!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The two took their positions, and they were lifted above the station.

Yugi's mind merged with the Spirit's. They both needed to be there to help Mary.

"Mary," said Yugi. "No matter what happens, don't lose faith, and don't panic! Remember that we're here for you!"

"Kind words," said Big Ben. "But it's hard not to get somewhat rattled when you're staring down the barrel of one of _these_!"

He pushed a button on his console, and two panels on each end of the room opened up. Slowly, two large weapons that looked like laser cannons emerged, and one was aimed at each of them!

"What the…" said Mary.

"Those are gizmos used frequently in comic books," said Ben. "Technically they're called microwave fusion emission throwers, but you can call them by a simpler name: heat rays! When one player's Life Points reach zero, he or she will be fried to a crisp, just like the Dark Phoenix was!

"And Remi will make sure it automatically goes off if you try to leave your spot or anyone tries to tamper with it, so don't try to escape."

Mary looked up at the heat ray. She was scared now, but she tried not to show it.

"This is insane!" said Yugi. "What on earth could Remi have promised you to talk you into doing this?!"

"Only two of the most sought after collectibles in the world, gathered by his Rare Hunters," said Ben. "Mint condition copies of _Action Comics #1_ and _Detective Comics #27_, the first appearances of Superman and Batman, respectively, in case you didn't know."

"You'd take such a risk for a pair of comic books?!" said Yugi.

"I'd do _anything_ for those two comic books," said Ben.

"Fine," said Mary. "If you want to put your life on the line over some silly comic books, I'll just have to take you down!"

She shuffled her deck of cards and put it down on the console. The scores reset to 2,000.

"Ready?" said Ben.

"DUEL!" they both said.

They drew their hands.

"Okay, pal," said Mary. "I'm putting out the Swamp Battleguard in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and the green, horned Warrior appeared, swinging his club. (1,800/1500)

"Humph," said Ben. "Talk about an amateur move… leaving a card that weak out totally defenseless."

"Huh?" said Mary. "He isn't weak!"

"He is compared to this," said Ben. "Goblin Attack Force, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and five goblin Warriors appeared. (2,300/0)

"Attack!" said Ben. The goblins rushed the Swamp Battleguard, bringing him down with a flurry of swords. Mary's Life Points fell to 1,500.

"And now my Goblin Attack Force automatically shifts to Defense Mode," said Ben. "How's THAT for an opening move?"

That WAS a good move, though Mary, drawing. I'd best play something stronger.

"Giltia the Knight in Attack Mode!" she said, putting a card down. The armored, caped knight sprung into existence. (1,850/1,500)

"Giltia, soul spear attack!" said Mary. "Wipe out that Attack Force!"

Giltia fired his blast of energy at the Goblin Attack Force, and they vanished.

"Heh, heh," said Ben. "Nice, but I can do better. Flame Champion, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and an armored warrior with a flaming shield came into being. (1,900/1,300)

Nuts, thought Mary.

"Flame Champion, flaming burst attack!" said Ben. The Flame Champion shot a blast of fire from his shield, incinerating Giltia. Mary's Life Points went down to 1,450.

"Oh, hang in there Mary!" said Peter.

"Feeling the heat, little girl?" said Ben. "You have nowhere left to go but down!"

He's right, said Mary. My Life Points are way down, and his haven't even been touched. If I can't do something fast, I'll suffer the same fate as Giltia!

She drew.

Maybe this will work, she thought.

"I'll lay these two cards facedown," she said. She put down the cards.

"And I'll summon the Darkfire Soldier in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and the burning soldier with a scimitar appeared in a defensive position. (1,700/1,150)

Ben chuckled. "Playing a Monster in Defense may protect your Life Points from one attack," he said, "but not against _two_. I'm playing Mr. Volcano in Attack Mode!"

He slapped the card down, and the fiery sorcerer appeared next to the Flame Champion. (2,100/1,300)

"Now I'll wipe you out once and for all!" he said.

"Hold it," said Mary, flipping over one of her facedown cards. "I activate my Trap… Thunder of Ruler!"

She held up a Trap Card depicting a general in golden armor.

"This Trap prevents you from making any attacks this round!" said Mary.

"Trying to stall, huh?" said Ben. "Well, I'll get you next round. Your move."

"Don't think so," said Mary. "Now that it's my turn again, I'll activate my other Trap – Curse of Aging!"

She flipped over a card showing an elderly man in a turban.

"Curse of Aging?!" said Ben.

"With this card, both of your Monsters grow old," said Mary. "losing 500 points from their Attack and Defense scores!"

With that, the Flame Champion's stats went down to1,400 over 800, and Mr. Volcano's went down to 1,600 over 800.

"Now, I'll switch my Darkfire Soldier into Attack Mode," said Mary, turning the card. "Attack, with blazing scimitar slash!"

The Darkfire Soldier attacked, first smashing the Flame Champion's shield and then blasting him out of existence in a fiery burst. Ben's Life Points slipped to 1,700.

"And I'll finish by playing one card facedown," she said.

"No matter," said Ben, drawing. "I'll first play a facedown card just like you."

He set the card.

"Then I'll make Mr. Volcano even stronger than he was before with this Equip card – Salamandra!"

"What? No!" said Mary.

Ben cackled as he placed the card down, and Mr. Volcano began to burn like an inferno! His Attack score went all the way up to 2,300!

"Attack with volcanic blast attack!" shouted Ben. Mr. Volcano shot forth a violent stream of flames, and the Darkfire Soldier was incinerated. Mary's Life Points fell to 850.

"And so the tables turn; or should I say burn!" said Ben with a laugh. "And now I'll summon the Robotic Knight in Attack Mode, to augment my forces." He placed the card down, and the golden android soldier appeared with his sword drawn. (1,600/1,800)

As Big Ben laughed Mary started to sweat.

"Don't give up, Mary!" said Clive.

"Yeah," said Peter. "It only… _looks_ hopeless."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Through a magical viewing screen in his Castle of Dark Illusions, Remi was watching with baited breath.

"Excellent," he said. "Frenzy's essence barely scratched the surface of my plan… but soon, young Mary will fall. Her soul is pure and innocent – just the type that will shave a good chunk out of what I need to complete my goal…"

He looked at the huge gemstone in the middle of the room.

"And even better, once she is gone, her loss will shatter the others' spirits, and they will soon fall as well. It is only a matter of time…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

I won't give up, thought Mary.

She looked up at the heat ray aimed directly at her, the weapon that would blow her away if she lost 850 more points…

As frightening as this is, there's got to be some way I can win. The card I played facedown could help… the problem is, I don't dare use it now…

She drew.

Bingo, she thought.

"Okay, geek," she said, "first I'm summoning the Flame Swordsman, in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and her favorite Warrior appeared brandishing his sword. (1,800/1,600)

Ben tapped his fingers.

"Now," she said, "I'm going to seize control of Mr. Volcano using this card, Brain Control!"

Big Ben gasped as she put it down. The fiendish brain appeared, and grabbed Mr. Volcano!

"Its power brainwashes Mr. Volcano," she said, "And turns him to my side for one full turn!

"I know what you're thinking… I could blow you away with these two Monsters – but if that facedown card of yours is a Trap, it could finish me when I attack with Flame Swordsman. Therefore, I'll use MY Trap…"

She flipped over her own facedown…

"A Trap called Altar For Tribute!"

"What?" said Ben.

A dark altar appeared on the grid, surrounding Mr. Volcano.

"I use this card," said Mary, "And I sacrifice Mr. Volcano. Doing so increases my Life Points by an amount equal to his original Attack score, which was 2,100, in case you forgot!"

The altar and Mr. Volcano vanished, and Mary's Life Points went up to 2,950!

"All right, Mary!" shouted Clive.

"Now, the tables are really turned," said Mary. "Flame Swordsman, attack that robot! Flaming sword of battle!"

"Oh no you don't!" said Ben, flipping over his facedown. It showed on its front side a flaming spinning wheel – a Trap Card!

"No!" said Yugi. "The Nightmare Wheel!"

"Nightmare Wheel?" said Clive. "That sounds bad…"

The Flame Swordsman was halted dead in his tracks, and a fiery circle appeared around him.

Ben cackled. "You fell for the deadliest Trap in my deck!" he said. Now, not only is your Flame Swordsman trapped where he stands, but so long as he is, 500 points will be deducted from your Life Points at the beginning of every one of my turns! Even if I do nothing, I'll win this duel in six turns!"

"No…" said Mary.

"Anything else you'd like to do before you end your turn?" he said.

"No," said Mary.

"Good, my turn then," he said. "And as you can see, the power of the Nightmare Wheel is already starting to work!"

Mary's Life Points fell to 2,450.

"I'll summon the Wolf Axwielder in Attack Mode," said Ben. "And that will be all."

He set the card down, and the Beast-Warrior with his axe emerged. (1,650/1,000)

If I play a Monster, thought Mary, I might only be hurt more. But he won't attack my trapped Flame Swordsman… not while he's helping him.

She drew.

And this is no good, she thought.

"I'll simply pass," she said. "Your move."

Heh, heh, smart girl, thought Ben. She knows I don't dare attack her Swordsman, even though I have the power to.

He drew.

This card won't help me get at her Life Points now… I'll just save it for later.

"I'll pass too," he said. "And my Trap is still working!"

Mary's Life Points fell to 1,950.

"Man, this stinks," said Peter. "That Wheel is going to do Mary in if she doesn't do something!"

"Does she have a Remove Trap card in her deck Yugi?" asked Clive. "Please tell me she has a Remove Trap card!"

"She has something better," said Yugi. "Or should I say, _someone_. But first she has to draw him."

C'mon Heart of the Cards, thought Mary. I need you now…

She drew.

"Okay, buddy," said Mary. "This might not be what I need, but it might help. I play the Pot of Greed!"

She put the card down, and the grinning, green jar appeared on the grid. It laughed a deep laugh and vanished.

"Now, I draw two more cards…" said Mary. She drew and looked at them…

"And now it's time for me to teach you a lesson! I play Jinzo, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the tall android appeared on the grid, forming a fighting stance. (2,400/1,500)

"Jinzo?!" said Ben.

"That's right," said Mary. "Not only is this mean Machine a powerful Monster, but he prevents all Traps from working, _and_ destroys all Traps currently working, so your Nightmare Wheel is now just a bad memory!"

The wheel disappeared from around the Flame Swordsman, and he lifted his sword.

"Now my Flame Swordsman is free, and he's mad!" said Mary. "Flame Swordsman, attack the Robotic Knight! Flaming sword of battle!"

The Swordsman charged forth, and brought his blade down on the robot, blowing it to smithereens! Ben's Life Points fell to 1,500.

"Now for your Wolf Axwielder," said Mary. "Jinzo, attack!"

Electricity sparked around Jinzo's hands, and he shot them forth, hitting the Beast Warrior with a bolt of lightning. It vanished, and Ben's Life Points went down to 650.

"Ha!" said Mary. "You've had it, geekazoid!"

Not caring about the wisecrack, Ben drew.

"I'll first use Dian Keto the Cure Master to recover Life Points," he said.

The homely man with his crystal ball appeared, and his Life Points went up to 1,650.

"Let me ask you something, Mary," said Ben. "Have you ever enjoyed reading comic books? Ever in your life?"

She just stared at him.

"I'll take that as a no," he said. "As you probably can tell, I've always loved comic books myself. And my all-time favorite has always been the Amazing Spider-Man! Yes, he is something… on the outside, a happy-go-lucky hero without a care in the world, but on the inside, a tortured individual with the weight of the world on his shoulders…

"And _nothing_ brought me more joy than the hero's classic battles with his greatest foe, the maniac known as the Green Goblin! He was once just a corrupt businessman who would do anything to get ahead… much like any businessman. But then he got his hands on a special formula that promised to give anyone who used it superhuman powers. Hungry for power, he tested the serum on himself… and it did make him super-strong and super-smart. But it had a tragic side-effect – it drove him hopelessly insane!"

"Will you just move?!" said Mary, who was getting annoyed.

"But that is my move," said Ben, taking a card from his hand.

"What? A comic book?!"

"Sort of," said Ben. "This super secret rare promotional Monster Card was awarded to the select few who made it to the quarter-finals of last year's ComicsCon Big Apple Duel Monsters Tournament! I play in Attack Mode, the mighty Green Goblin!!"

He but the card down, and a fiendish laughter erupted from the grid. A comic book appeared on the grid floor, its pages flew open, and a shape flew out of it like a genie out of a lamp. It was the Green Goblin in all his maniacal glory! Just as he appeared in the comic books, he was dressed in a green, scaly bodysuit, a purple leotard, gloves, and pointed boots, and his face was like a green-skinned demon with a pointed purple cap. He was mounted upon a large metal machine that held him aloft, with smoke pouring out of thrusters in the back.

As he faced Mary's two Monsters, he laughed like a lunatic. (2,500/1,000)

"Green Goblin," said Ben, "attack the Flame Swordsman with pumpkin bomb blast!"

The Goblin cackled, and a small, glowing jack o' lantern appeared in his right hand. He threw it, and it hit the Flame Swordsman, blowing him to pieces! Mary's Life Points fell to 1,200.

"Good shot, Goblin!" said Ben. "I'm aiming for that Jinzo next, just so you know!"

Dang, thought Mary. Got to defend until I can figure out a way to beat that… thing.

"I'm switching Jinzo into Defense Mode," she said, turning the card. "And that's all."

"Good choice," said Ben. "Go my grinning friend, pumpkin bomb blast!"

The Goblin threw another of his grenades, blasting Jinzo to bits.

"Geeze," said Peter. "Look at that guy, his Attack power is through the roof! Yugi, do you know anything about this Green Goblin?"

"Only a little," said Yugi. "It's a very rare card… only about twelve of them exist, I believe. I think it has a powerful effect of some sort, but I'm not exactly sure what it is… Mary just has to work harder…"

Man, I can barely defend myself, thought Mary.

"Lava Battleguard, in Defense Mode," she said, putting the card down. The Lava Battleguard appeared. (1,550/1,800)

"When are you going to learn?" said Ben. "Nothing can defend against this kind of firepower! Green Goblin, get 'im!"

The Goblin threw him bomb, and blasted the Lava Battleguard to bits.

Mary drew.

Hey, the Shield and Sword card, she thought.

She looked at her hand.

And here's the card that Yugi gave me. I think I can take down that laughing abomination!

"Here's my move," she said. "I first play the Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the warrior-woman on the card appeared. She bore her sword menacingly. (1,600/1,500)

"Heh, stupid," said Ben. "That chick can't come close to beating my Goblin!"

"She can in a minute," said Mary. "Because I'm using the Shield and Sword Card!"

She put it down. "Attack becomes Defense, Defense becomes Attack!" she said. And as she said it, the Green Goblin's stats changed to 1,000 over 2,500, while the Swordmistress's went to 1,500 over 1,600.

"Now, attack Flame Swordmistress!" shouted Mary. "Blazing saber of battle!"

The Swordmistress screamed a war cry, and brought her sword down on the Green Goblin, and he burst into green and purple fragments! Ben's Life Points went down to 1,150.

"Alright, Mary!" said Clive.

"I dunno," said Yugi. "That seemed a little too easy…"

Strangely, Ben didn't seem upset at all.

"I knew you were an amateur," he said. "Now I'm going to prove it…"

"Hell-ooo!" said Mary. "Didn't I just send your best Monster to Kingdom Come?"

"You'll see in a minute," said Ben. "First I'll play a card facedown, and I'll summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode!"

He put a card down, and a huge, lazy-looking Dragon appeared, with the numbers 1,300 over 2,000.

"Try to break through THAT," said Ben.

Mary drew.

"All right!" she said. "This guy will win the whole duel for me! Red Eyes Black Dragon, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and an explosion erupted on the field. The enormous Red Eyes burst unto the grid! The numbers 2,400 over 2,000 appeared.

"Red Eyes, destroy his Dragon with inferno fireball attack!"

The Red Eyes breathed a gout of flame, and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave was incinerated.

"Yes!" said Mary. "Now all I have to do is attack with my Flame Swordmistress, and I'll have won! Flame Swordmistress, finish him off!"

The Flame Swordmistress charged…

"Activate Trap!" said Ben. "Waboku!"

"Huh!" said Mary.

The three men in blue robes appeared in front of the Warrior and blocked her path.

"Sorry, Mary," said Ben, "but I was _trying_ to get you to bring out that Dragon! Now see the true might of my mightiest card!"

He waved his hand. Again, the small comic book appeared on the grid and blew open, and the Green Goblin flew out of it again! He cackled, and the numbers 2,500 over 1,000 appeared once more.

Mary and her friends gasped.

"WHAT?!" said Mary. "But you didn't even use Monster Reborn!"

"Don't you know how things work in comic books?" said Ben. "Heroes and villains fight all the time, and sometimes, it seems like a villain is vanquished and sent to the Great Beyond. But it's never that simple. No matter how much a hero is certain that his foe is dead and gone, the villain almost always miraculously shows up alive at a later date, having cheated death to challenge the hero again! It happens all the time in the comics. And like the comic book character he resembles, you can kill this Monster again and again, but he'll just come back to face you, again and again! Green Goblin, attack the Red Eyes with pumpkin bomb blast!"

The Green Goblin cackled, and hurled his jack o' lantern bomb at the Red Eyes, shattering it in a deafening explosion. Mary's Life Points fell to 1,100.

"Good lord!" said Clive. "That thing just took out Mary's best Monster!"

"Stay strong Mary," said Yugi. "Stay strong…"

"I'm switching my Flame Swordmistress to Defense Mode," said Mary. "And that's all I can do for now."

Ben drew. And then he laughed again.

"Another thing you should know," he said. "Whenever a villain comes back, the first thing he wants is revenge… and I'm going to give him that, by taking out your Swordmistress in the most painful way. Read it and weep!"

He showed her the card.

"A Stop Defense card?!" said Mary.

"You got it!" said Ben, putting it down. The Flame Swordmistress got up and assumed attack position.

"Pumpkin bomb blast!" shouted Ben. The Goblin threw his bomb, blasting the Flame Swordmistress. Mary's Life Points went down to 200.

Now what? said Mary, drawing. He's fried all my best Monsters, and he's going to fry ME if he makes another successful attack!

"I'll play the Armored Lizard in Defense Mode," she said, putting a card down.

The Reptile appeared on the grid. (1,500/1,200)

Ben drew. "Well, now I'm going to make it even harder for you," he said. "I'm Equipping the Green Goblin with this Card, Dark Energy!"

He put the card down, and the Green Goblin's Attack score went up to 2,800.

"You know what to do, Goblin," he said. The Goblin threw his bomb and vaporized the Lizard.

Mary drew.

She made a slight smile.

"Well," she said. "Your Green Goblin may be able to escape from what seems to be certain death…

"… but he'll be _really_ dead is he dies… of old age!"

"Say what?" said Ben.

"First, I'll put a card facedown," said Mary, doing so. "Then I'll summon the Lord of the Past and Future… The Time Wizard!"

She put the card down, and the clock-shaped Spellcaster leapt up.

Ben drew back in shock.

"All right!" said Clive. "Mary found a way to get rid of that green goofball!"

"Of course," said Peter, "if the Time Wizard's staff arrow lands on a skull, Mary's had it…"

"Think positive, people," said Yugi.

"Time Wizard, use time roulette, now!" shouted Mary.

The arrow on the Time Wizard's staff started to spin… it spun faster and faster…

"C'mon Time Wizard," said Peter.

"Don't let Mary down," said Clive.

The arrow slowed… five pairs of eyes were on it…

And it stopped straight up, on the top crown!

"YES!!" said Peter and Clive together.

"_Time magic!!"_ said the Wizard, and he waved his staff to the heavens. A maelstrom of energy stated to erupt, as the time warp opened!

Ben looked away as the storm ripped through the whole room. "What have you done, you little…?!"

"Nothing much," said Mary. "Just torn a hole in the fabric of the space-time continuum, causing about a million years to pass on the playing field. And your Green Goblin isn't seeming to age gracefully."

As the warp closed, the Goblin rotted into a pile of dust, and his glider rusted into a heap of junk. Ben's Life Points fell to 450.

"Now he's gone, and he's _staying_ gone!" said Mary.

Ugh, she's right! thought Ben. Since he was destroyed by an effect, I can't bring him back without a Monster Reborn card… and I haven't GOT one! Have to salvage my plans… and with that facedown card, I can't risk attacking…

He drew.

"I'll summon Pumpking the King of Ghosts in Attack Mode," he said. He placed the card down, and the huge Zombie pumpkin slowly rose upon the field. (1,800/2,000)

Lovely, thought Mary.

"And I'll place a card facedown, ending my turn."

Double-lovely, thought Mary. Something else to worry about.

She looked nervously at the heat ray aimed at her again. She drew.

"I'll play Kojikocy in Defense Mode," she said. She put the card down, and the Norse Warrior appeared (1,500/1,200)

"That will be all for me this turn," she said.

"Perfect," said Ben. "And now I'll summon the White Magical Hat, also in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the Spellcaster with the white hat and cape appeared in a puff of smoke. (1,000/700)

"What are you going to do with THAT throwaway Monster?" said Mary, puzzled.

"THIS!" said Ben. He lifted up his facedown card.

"A Polymerization card?!" said Mary.

"Correct!" said Ben. "Which will fuse my two Monsters together into a Fiend that even your Trap Card won't protect you from."

Pumpking and the White Magical Hat turned into orange and white swirls of light and blurred together, and then in a burst, a new creature appeared. He wore a suit similar to the White Magical Hat's, but in place of a head, he had a frightening looking pumpkin carved into a frightening visage. Flames burned inside it!

(2,300/1,500)

"Presenting: Mad Jack!" said Ben. "This Fiend is so mad, that he shrugs off the effects of any Trap you try to pull on him; meaning your facedown Trap will be worthless! Mad Jack, destroy Kojikocy with blazing breath flame attack!"

The Fiend blew a blast of fire at the Warrior, destroying him.

Man, said Mary, drawing, if I survive this, I'll never eat pumpkin pie again!

She looked at the card.

Oh! She thought.

"Well," she said. "It's been fun, but time to end this."

"Hmm?" said Ben. "You don't have anything that can destroy Mad Jack."

"Let me tell you another rule about comic books that you might know about," said Mary. "In the comic book world, alliances rarely last forever, and several times, villains have reformed and sided with the heroes.

"And to prove it, I'm going to play this card… MONSTER REBORN!"

She put the card down, and in a burst of light, the Green Goblin reappeared, on her side! The numbers 2,500 over 1,000 appeared again.

"My Green Goblin!!" said Ben.

"Only he's not yours anymore!" said Mary. She reached for her facedown card.

"And this wasn't a Trap, by the way, it was a Spell Card. A powerful one called Copycat!"

"Copycat?!" said Ben.

"I can use it to copy any Spell Card you've used," said Mary. "And I think I'll use it to copy your Dark Energy card!"

She put it down, and the Goblin's Attack power went up to 2,800.

"It's all over, chubs," said Mary. "Green Goblin, attack Mad Jack with pumpkin bomb blast!"

The miniature jack o' lantern appeared in the Green Goblin's hand… with an insane laugh, he hurled it at Mad Jack, and the Fiend was vanquished! Big Ben's Life Points fell down to zero!

Mary folded her arms. The heat ray behind her that was aimed at Ben started to glow…

"Done in by my own Monster," he said. "I never thought it would end this…"

Before he could finish, the heat ray blasted, striking him! His scream echoed through the whole building.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mary breathed a sigh of relief, as the duel station lowered her to safety. Yugi ran up and hugged her.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Just a little shaken," she said. A few tears of relief fell from her eyes. "Let's get out of this comic book store, 'kay?"

"Wait," said Clive. "There's supposed to be another clue here that will direct us somewhere else, remember?"

As if to answer him, an envelope slowly fluttered down from the ceiling. Yugi caught it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Castle of Dark Illusions, Remi Farikoh, the self-titled Heir of Marik, brooded.

"I seem to have underestimated Yugi's little girlfriend," he said.

He picked up the Siphon. "I doubt the essence this thing collected from Ben's covetous soul will do any better than Frenzy's…"

He pressed it against the huge gemstone. The number next to it went up to 01.27. Remi sighed.

"No matter," he said. "Ben was one thing, but there are plenty more where he came from. Soon I'll have what I want. And then I'll have far more than just this city under my thumb…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GREEN GOBLIN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **If this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon it during your next Standby Phase. You may not Normal Summon, Special Summon, or set any other Monsters on the turn you use this effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MAD JACK (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description: **_Pumpking the King of Ghosts + White Magical Hat_

This card is not affected by Trap Cards that target a specific Monster.


	6. Battle in the Big House

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Five**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Battle in the Big House**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the rest of the United States, everyone who was able was glued to his or her television set; every half hour, the national news reporters repeated the same frightening story, which came along these lines:

"Again we repeat our ongoing story: the city of New York has somehow been taken hostage by unknown forces.

"Since six AM this morning, a dome of pitch-black darkness has covered all five boroughs of the city like a dome of solid energy. Stretching from the southern tip of Staten Island to the northern tip of the Bronx, covering the middle of the Hudson River to just beyond JFK International Airport, the entire city has been cut off from the rest of the world by the uncanny darkness.

"The U.S. Military has surrounded the city, and had made dozens of attempts to break through the barrier; all attempts have met with failure. Some of the weaponry that has been used could shatter titanium, but have failed to so much as scratch the dome. Attempts to communicate with anyone inside the city have also met with failure… authorities have no idea whatsoever what the condition of the citizenry is at this point.

"Whoever is responsible for this phenomenon is unknown, as no demands have yet been received. The President has raised the Terror Alert status to Red, but neither he nor any other member of state or national government has any ideas towards finding a solution.

"Across the country and indeed all over the world, folks can do little except pray. Vigils are being held in churches and community centers in hundreds of towns and cities. In this situation of crisis, the heads of state of other nations are pledging their support, but they seemingly can offer no help other than that.

"Until a chink in the dome's seemingly impenetrable armor is found, all we can seem to do is wait. And the waiting continues, through America's dark nightmare."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Few could even imagine that the fate of New York City, now called the City of Souls, rested upon the shoulders of four youngsters, and a mysterious Spirit who resided in the mind of their leader.

They had exited the comic book store (the stench there was too much for them), and were back on the deserted street. Up above them was the source of the problem: the Castle of Dark Illusions hovered over the city, it's demonic power keeping the dome in place and the residents imprisoned in the even darker place known as the Shadow Realm.

"You won't get away with this, Remi," said Yugi under his breath. "Whatever evil scheme you're planning, we will stop you!"

"Stop mumbling, Yugi," said Clive. "We've got another riddle to solve."

They looked at the piece of paper from the envelope. It read as follows:

_Surrounded by water on every side,_

_Where killers and rapists maintain their pride,_

_You'll find a challenge, true and tried._

"Killers and rapists," said Mary. "Must be a jail, or a prison or something…"

"A high security one," said Clive. "And 'surrounded by water'? It has to mean the Riker's Island Detention Center."

"Lovely," said Yugi. "Get ready guys… we're going to jail!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Using their _Fodor's Complete Guide to New York_, and the intuition of Yugi's spiritual partner, the foursome trekked slowly but surely to the northeastern part of the island of Manhattan. Behind the dome of blackness, the sun must have started to set – the shadows were lengthening. Eventually, they had reached their goal: the banks of the East River, where there were parked several police boats tasked with a specific purpose – ferrying civilian visitors to one of the most unpleasant places in the city. They brought family members and friends to the place where some of the most violent and dangerous criminals ever to pass through the justice system of New York were kept: Riker's Island Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

"So what do we do now?" said Clive. "We can't pilot one of these things by ourselves…"

"If we interpreted the riddle correctly, I don't think that should be a problem," said Yugi. "Let's just get on one of the boats, and see what happens."

They boarded the closest boat, and sat down on the benches provided for guests. Sure enough, a warning bell sounded, indicating that the boat was about to push off. The engine started, and the ferry began to move.

As the boat speed towards the island prison, the friends started to get nervous. Not even a mile beyond Riker's Island was the border of the dome of darkness that imprisoned the city. It was uncanny, seeing the wall of shadow so near.

Eventually, the boat reached it destination and docked. They four of them scampered off. Night was beginning to fall. Their watches read seven-thirty.

"This complex has a dozen jails," said Mary. "Don't tell me we have to search them all!"

Then a light bulb lit up on the floor. Another one lit up next to it, and then a whole string of them illuminated. A pathway of lamps lead the way towards the largest building – the maximum-security dormitory.

"Stay close everybody," said Yugi.

As they followed the lights, the main gates of the prison opened for them… and quickly closed behind. They continued to follow, through the main doors of the building, which promptly slammed shut.

Still the lights prompted them to follow, past the foyer, past the guard stations, past the visiting areas, and finally, into the area known as "General Population," or "Gen Pop," the place where the actual cells were. There were two floors of cells surrounding them, on all sides, all of them empty. Obviously, not even the convicts of this jail had been spared Remi's curse.

Most of them.

Walking down towards the end, they saw what appeared to be their goal – a dueling station had been set up at the end of Gen Pop, and behind it was a huge television screen, currently off.

"Okay, Remi, we're here," said Yugi. "Now what…?"

They were all startled when something fell – no jumped – from above.

A shadowy shape rose from behind the dueling station. The friends saw that he was holding a shiny object in his hand. He glared at them.

"Come into the light, you coward!" said Yugi, who was now fully merged with the Spirit.

"Whatever you say…" said a sinister voice.

He stepped into the light. He was a tall, muscular man wearing a prison uniform. His hair was dirty blonde and needed to be cut. Most remarkably, someone had carved a scar resembling a "7" into his forehead – a gruesome tattoo. The "shiny object" he was holding was a large knife, probably one taken from the prison kitchens.

Around his neck was a strange metal collar, the purpose of which Yugi could not comprehend.

Then the television screen came on, and everyone, including the convict, turned towards it. Remi's face appeared on it.

"Hello folks," he said. "Glad you were able to get here."

Yugi just stared at him.

"Let me introduce your opponent for this stage of the contest," he said, pointing to the convict. "Louis Sevens, but most people called him 'Lucky Seven.' See, when he turned to a violent, life of _brutal_ crime, he had great luck pulling it off. Of course, I guess he wasn't all _that_ lucky… he still got caught!"

"Hey!" said Seven. "Don't go there!"

"Yes, of course," said Remi. "When he was brought to trial, he was convicted of twelve murders, but prosecutors think the actual number might be closer to thirty – they weren't able to put together evidence for some of them. And his victims weren't simply shot either; some of them were enough to make a coroner sick, they were so cut up!

"But don't worry, he can't hurt you… yet. See that collar he's wearing? A magical device left to me by my mentor, Marik. Should he attempt an act of violence on anybody – and he's learned this through experience – the collar will cause him agonizing pain, and if he tries to ignore it, the pain will persist until he dies.

"However, should he defeat any of you in the duel you are about to have, the lock on his collar will become undone, and you'll all be at his mercy. And don't think he's a pushover. In prison, convicts need to find things to do; some read, some play games. Chess, checkers, poker, or Duel Monsters, as this guy has. And I've given him a few pointers myself.

"So then, boys and girl, the doors are locked, there's no way out, and Lucky Seven, you have the honor of choosing who you wish to challenge. Have a nice duel!"

Remi vanished.

"Talk about twisted!" said Mary.

"Hmm," said Seven. "Who to choose? You all look so delicious…

"You!" he said. "You with the jacket!"

"Me?" said Clive.

"That's right!" said Seven. "Step up to the bar, chump, and just try to see if you can beat me."

"I guess I have no choice," sighed Clive. He took out his deck and walked up to the dueling station.

I just wish I were more experienced, he thought, before having to bet my life on it!

As the station raised them both into position, Yugi spoke up:

"Clive just remember all I taught you! Have faith in yourself; trust your instincts, not your impulses. No matter how much skill this guy has, you can beat him, because your heart is pure… his is dark and foul!"

"Watch your trap!" said Seven.

Yugi is right, thought Clive, putting down his deck. Just like he always says… have faith in the Heart of the Cards…

The station came to life, and the scores were set to 2,000.

"Ready punk?" said Seven.

"I'm as ready as you are!" said Clive.

"DUEL!" the both said.

"The first move is yours," said Seven.

Clive made his draws.

Hmm, he thought. This card can give me an advantage… if I find a way to strengthen her…

"I've got just the girl for you, 'Lucky'," said Clive. "I'm summoning Dark Scorpion member Meanae the Thorn, in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a beautiful, dark-haired woman clad in leather appeared on his side. She was carrying a large whip, but held it defensively. (1,000/1,800)

"Like her?" said Clive. "She's a criminal, just like you… of course, she's a far more _honorable _one. She faces her foes directly in fair fights, not like a killer who preys on helpless targets!"

"Just keep crackin' insults, punk," said Seven. "I'll have the last laugh."

He drew a card from his hand. "I'll summon the Iron Fortress of Dis, in Defense Mode!"

"Huh?" said Clive.

As Seven put the card down, a large fortress made of metal rose on his side of the grid. It was a frightening sight, covered with spikes, barbs, and fiendish architecture. (0/3,500)

"What is that thing?!" said Clive.

"This 'thing' is not only nearly impenetrable," said Seven, but it will raise the Defense of all Monsters I summon by 300 points! Clever, huh?

"And if you think you can drag it into Attack Mode with a Magic or Trap card, think again! Only I can change the position of this Monster!"

"Typical," said Yugi.

"What do you mean?" said Mary.

"Seven is a serial killer," said Yugi. "And most serial killers are cowards who fear death more than anything else. Some actually believe that by murdering innocents they keep death pleased and away from them. So it's only natural that he's played that Monster. Now Clive can't possibly make a Direct Attack on his Life Points, and I expect it's part of some grander plan."

"You can't beat me by just keeping a strong defense," said Clive.

"Oh really?" said Seven. "Heh, heh… wrong! I'll also play this Spell Card… a powerful one called Final Countdown!"

"What the…?" said Clive.

Seven put the card down, and then a large clock face with the numbers twenty through one on it, and a skeletal hand pointing to 20, appeared above the grid.

"See that?" said Seven. "That clock will tick down to my victory! After we have made twenty turns total, your Life Points will automatically fall to zero, and I will prove victorious!

"Time is running out. It is your move…"

And as he said that, the hand on the clock moved to 19.

Dang, thought Clive. I've got to find a way to beat him, and fast!

"Fine," said Clive, drawing. He looked at the card.

"First I'll switch Meanae into Attack Mode," he said.

He turned the card. Meanae rose and cracked her whip.

"And, since I think she looks a little lonely out there, I'll summon one of her friends… another member of the Dark Scorpions, Chick the Yellow, in Attack Mode!"

He placed down a card. A short teenager wearing a leather jacket and red pants and a bandana with blonde hair appeared. He bore a long quarterstaff. (1,000/1,000)

"And finally," said Clive, "I'll give them both a boost with my Negative Energy card!"

He placed it down. "Negative Energy doubles the attack score of all Dark Monsters on the field, bringing both their Attack scores to 2,000! It would have also affected your Fortress, but I'm afraid two times nothing is still nothing!"

The Attack scores of both Chick and Meanae rose.

"And that will do it for me," he said.

"Fine," said Seven. "One card facedown."

He placed the card.

"And I'll summon the Headless Knight, in Defense Mode!"

He set the card, and the armored Fiend with a sword and no head appeared. (1,450/1,700)

Then a bolt from the Iron Fortress hit the Headless Knight, and his Defense rose to 2,000.

"Your move," chuckled Seven.

_Seventeen rounds to Seven's automatic win via Final Countdown._

Clive drew.

Humph, he thought. If I could use this on the Fortress, I'd win… but still…

"Nice try, but your Knight won't be defending for long," said Clive. "I'm playing my Stop Defense card!"

"What?" said Seven. "No!"

The Headless Knight rose into Attack Mode.

"Now, Meanae, attack the Headless Knight with scorpion lash attack!"

Meanae cracked her whip, and the Knight burst. Seven's Life Points fell to 1,450.

"And I not only destroyed your Knight," said Clive. "But because Meanae inflicted damage on your Life Points, I'm now allowed to search my deck for another of her allies, and add him to my hand."

"Allies?" said Seven.

"The Dark Scorpion gang has five members," said Clive, searching his deck. "Each has his unique talents." He selected a card. "And I think I'll conclude my move by playing this one. Cliff the Trap Remover, in Defense Mode!"

An older man, dressed sort of like Chick, with brown hair, appeared holding a dagger. He knelt in defense. (1,200/1,000)

"Finally, one card facedown," said Clive, "and it's your move."

Seven cackled. "In that case, I'll activate my Trap card," he said, "the dreaded Just Desserts!"

"No!" said Yugi. His friends gasped.

"Just Desserts drains 500 points from your Life Points for every Monster you have on the Field," cackled Seven, "giving me a heavy lead!"

As Seven flipped over the card, Clive's Life Points tumbled, down to 500.

"Uh… hang in there, Clive!" said Mary.

"Now I'll summon the Gemini Elf in Attack Mode," said Seven. He put the card down, and the two twin elves appeared.

"Attack Cliff the Trap Remover!" said Seven. "Dual Magic attack!"

The two elves combines their power and shot a blast of magic towards Cliff.

"Ah, activate Trap!" said Clive.

He flipped the card, and the spell fizzled. He had used his Negate Attack Trap.

"Oh well," said Seven. "It will soon be over anyway. Make your move."

_Fifteen rounds to Seven's automatic win via Final Countdown._

Clive drew.

"First," he said. "I'll put Cliff in Attack Mode, and Equip him with the Dark Scorpion Shiv."

He put a card down, and a long dagger appeared in the air. Cliff grabbed it.

"This Equip card powers up the Attack of any Dark Scorpion member by 700 points!" Cliff's score went up to 1,900 over 1,000.

"Now, Meanae, attack the Gemini Elf!" said Clive. "Scorpion lash attack!"

Meanae attacked, and destroyed the two twins. Seven's Life Points fell to 1,350.

"Now I'll get from my deck the fourth member of the Dark Scorpions," said Clive, searching through his Deck. "I'll finish my turn by playing him in Attack Mode; meet Gorg the Strong!"

He put the card down, and a huge, hulking, bald Warrior with a large mace appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"Ah, Gorg, shmorg," said Seven. "No matter how many of your Scorpions you summon, they can't bring down my Fortress! Is that your move?"

"Yes," said Clive.

Fourteen rounds to Seven's automatic win via Final Countdown.

"Then I'll summon Great Angus in Defense Mode," said Seven. "And that will be my move."

The huge, fiery, tusked Beast appeared. (1,800/600)

A boost from the Fortress raised its Defense to 900.

Clive drew. Ah, he thought.

"I'm going to Equip Chick the Yellow with this," he said, "the Parasite Bow!"

"Huh?" said Seven.

Clive but the card down, and a black bow and arrow appeared in Chick's hands.

"The Parasite Bow is a powerful Equip," said Clive. "When he destroys any of your Monsters with it, half of that Monster's Attack score is added to my Life Points. Go Chick! Attack the Great Angus!"

Chick drew back the bowstring and fired! The arrow sank into the Great Angus's chest and he fell. Clive's Life Points rose to 1,400.

"Your move," said Clive.

"You think you're so smart," said Seven. "Well you still can't make any more dents in my Life Points, and time is running out! First I'll play this De-Spell card!"

The Parasite Bow melted out of Chick's hands.

"Sorry, Robin Hood, you've just been disarmed," said Seven. "Now I'll play a card facedown."

He did so.

"And I'll end my turn by using Red Medicine," he said.

He put the card down, and the red vial appeared over the grid. His Life Points rose to 1,850.

"Make your move, as if it will make a difference," he said.

Eleven rounds to Seven's automatic win via Final Countdown.

He's right, thought Clive. My Scorpions could attack him, if only the Iron Fortress of Dis wasn't there… but that thing is practically indestructible! I have to find some way to get rid of it… if I do, this duel will be easily won…

He drew.

"All right!" he said. "Say bye-bye to your Fortress, 'Lucky'! I just drew the Shield and Sword card!"

"Yes!" said Mary.

Lucky gave a slight grin.

Clive threw it down. "Now your Fortress's Defense will be reduced to zero, and then I'll…"

"Uh-uh-uh!" said Seven. "I counter your Shield and Sword with THIS!"

He lifted up his facedown card.

"The Magic Jammer card?!" said Clive.

"No!" shouted Mary. "That card was Clive's only chance!"

"My Fortress remains impregnable," said Seven. "Face it, you've had it."

Clive sighed. "That's all I can do this turn," he said.

_Ten rounds to Seven's automatic win via Final Countdown. _

"Then I believe I will pass," said Seven. "And the countdown to your doom draws ever closer!"

Clive drew.

A Trap card, he thought. This could win me the game if I only had one other card. But with the whole rest of my deck, I don't know if I can draw it in the four of my turns I have left…

"I'll place this card facedown," he said, "and end my turn."

_Eight rounds to Seven's automatic win via Final Countdown. _

"I'll just pass again," said Seven, with a vicious smile. "Want to keep playing, or give up now and save yourself the embarrassment?"

"Don't give up, Clive!" shouted Peter.

"Don't even think about it!" said Mary.

As the clock ran down to 7, Clive looked at them.

"I don't intend to," he said.

"The Final Countdown clock is at seven," said Seven. "I think this round might be a good one for me!"

Clive drew. He gave the card a good look.

"Not on your life," he said. "You've met most of the Dark Scorpion gang… now meet their fearless leader! I place in Attack Mode, the incredible Don Zaloog!"

He placed the card down, and a man sprang onto the grid, in front of the other four Warriors. He was a tall man with white hair and an eye patch. He held a rapier in one hand and a dagger in another. (1,400/1,500)

"What good will he do?" said Seven. "Not even all five of them can bring down my Fortress!"

"It doesn't matter," said Clive. "Your Fortress will protect you no longer."

"What do you mean?!" said Seven. "No attack can destroy it!"

"I don't have to. I'm activating this special Trap card," said Clive, flipping it over. "Dark Scorpion Combination!"

"Dark Scorpion Combination?" said Seven.

With that, all five of the Scorpions assumed fighting stances.

"This Trap can only be activated when all five members of the Dark Scorpion Gang are on the field; and when it's activated all five of them can make a Direct Attack for 400 points of damage, no matter WHAT Monsters you have on the Field!"

"What?" said Seven. "NOOO!!"

"Meanae the Thorn!" shouted Clive, "Scorpion lash attack!"

Meanae lashed with her whip, and Seven's Life Points fell to 1,450.

"Chick the Yellow, scorpion smash attack!"

Chick struck with his quarterstaff, and Seven's Life Points fell to 1,050.

"Cliff the Trap Remover, scorpion stab attack!"

Cliff thrust with his dagger, and Seven's Points went down to 650.

"Gorg the Strong, scorpion crush attack!"

Gorg grunted and swung with his mace, reducing Seven's points down to 250.

"Now, Don Zaloog," commanded Clive, "finish him with Sting of the Scorpion attack!"

Zaloog leapt up in the air and brought his weapons down hard! Lucky Seven's Life Points fell to zero!

"He won, he won!" shouted Mary.

"Way to go, Clive!" shouted Peter.

The five Dark Scorpions seemed just as happy. They all put their hands together in triumph.

Seven was clearly angry. "No…" he said. "I can't lose…"

He raised his knife. "I will not be denied!!"

But as he tried to lunge towards Clive, he stopped, as if something had clubbed him. He grabbed the collar on his neck, as if to try to pull it off.

"No!" he said. "Curse you, you… AUUGGHH!!"

He squirmed on the floor for a few seconds, shook for a minute, and then went limp.

Yugi went up, and then felt for a pulse.

"No pulse," he said. "Remi killed him."

He looked at the fallen criminal, and then noticed something in his pocket – an envelope. He took it out.

Meanwhile, Clive had collected his cards and dismounted the station.

"Wow, Clive," said Mary. "Your Dark Scorpions were something else!"

"Yeah…" said Clive.

He held in his hand the five Monster Cards that depicted the five Warriors he had used.

"Funny," he said. "The five members of the Dark Scorpion gang work so well as a team… Sort of like the way the four of us is a team. So long as we stick together, we can triumph over this crisis just as well as they did!"

"Intriguing statement," said Yugi. "And in a way, the analogy couldn't be more true."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Whatever was controlling the doors to the prison happily allowed them to leave. Even the boat they had taken was ready to return them to Manhattan. It was now ten PM, and darkness had fallen on the city.

While in the boat, they read the message in the envelope:

_Where German sausage was perfected,_

_And children's laughter is expected,_

_Your next task soon will be detected._

"Huh?" said Mary.

"We'll think about it tomorrow," said Yugi. "When we get to dry land, let's find a place to spend the night."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they walked off the boat, a shadowy figure spied on them from down the street.

Cassie Black, or rather her body in control of a dark spirit, had been spying on them all day, always keeping out of sight, trying to learn as much as possible, until she believed she was ready to confront them.

"That foolish Heir believes he can slay them through the use of cronies and lackeys," she said. "He is an overconfident coward. He doesn't know them the way I do. I have more courage… I will face Yugi myself, and seize his Puzzle!

"But not just yet. The Heir's traps will make them physically and mentally drained. Eventually, they will be just right for the plucking…"

She looked down at her own Millennium Item.

"…and they will soon realize the horrors of the Millennium Ring, just as Yugi and Mary's sires did so long ago!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IRON FORTRESS OF DIS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 3,500

**Card Description: **All Monsters you control except this one gain 300 Defense Points. The Battle Position of this card cannot be switched by card effects controlled by your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PARASITE BOW (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A black bow tipped with iron-shod arrows.

**Card Description: **Equip only to a Warrior or Beast-Warrior-Type Monster. When the Equipped Monster destroys a Monster as a result of battle, increase the Life Points of the Equipped Monster's controller by half that of the destroyed Monster.


	7. The Last Laugh

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Six**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**The Last Laugh**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

At five AM the next morning, Remi took his Siphon, charged with the life essence of Lucky Seven, who had proven to be not very lucky at all.

He pressed it to the huge gem in his antechamber. The number next to it went up to 02.01.

Rage came over him. He lifted his Millennium Rod and brought it down on a ceramic vase, smashing it. He struck a small statue next to him, shattering it.

He turned towards a large ornate clock. He hurled the Rod at it, and it smashed into broken gears and springs.

He paused and breathed in. He picked up his Rod.

"Three of my henchmen gone!" he said. "The efforts my Hunters made to get their cards, wasted! And so far all I have for my efforts is just over two percent of what I need…

"It's time I started making it a little harder for them," he said. He turned towards the huge gem.

"Well, I don't think the master will mind if I'm a little underhanded in my attempts…

"And even if the next duel I'm sending them to should fail, the one that comes after will not. Yugi will face a contest unlike he ever has…"

He looked into the next room where a figure was standing silently.

"He and his friends had no problem in mortal combat with the uncivilized cads I have sent them thus far, but Yugi will have to make a choice in his next duel…"

He rummaged through his deck and took out the card labeled "Painful Choice."

"A very, _very_ painful choice…"

He walked away from the figure and into another room where his viewing screen was set up.

"Soon my victims will awaken and solve that riddle," he said. "I must make certain that the Rare Hunters that I sent to meet with Paste-Face have made their delivery."

He turned on the screen, and soon a face came into view. The man in the room he was observing wore the makeup of a clown; not the type of clown that children flock to, but the type that children see in nightmares. His makeup was arranged in unpleasant dark colors, and the bright green hair around his ears (the top of his head was bald) was spiky and wild.

"Paste-Face," said Remi. "Have you met with the two Johns?"

"Yeah, boss," he said, "but one of the johns was in the lady's room, so they kicked me out!"

"Will you be serious for once?!" said Remi. "Did they give you the cards?"

"Yeah, boss, got 'em right here!" said the clown. "They're awfully pretty!"

"Just use them!" said Remi. "Your opponents will be there in a few hours if they take the fastest route."

"Really?" said Paste-Face. He held a hand mirror to his face and picked up a comb. "How do I look?"

"Like a clown," said Remi. "Now two instructions: first, I want you to challenge the one named Peter. I believe he's the least skilled of the four."

"You sure?" said Paste-Face.

"How good can some shutterbug be?" said Remi. "But just to make certain, I want you to use your failsafe device."

"No problem," said Paste-Face. "No one can beat me when I use that! It will be my pleasure to destroy him!"

"I hope so," said Remi. "You know what will happen if you fail. So don't fail!"

The monitor shut off.

"You're welcome…" said the clown, sarcastically.

The monitor turned back on.

"What was that?!" said Remi.

"Uh, I said, you're well-groomed!" said Paste-Face. "Love the haircut…"

Remi gave him a look, and the monitor turned off.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The night before, Yugi and his friends found a small hotel in upper Manhattan. They had to break into it (and they had to break into the hardware store where they got the crowbars they needed to break into the hotel) but desperate times called for desperate measures. After a fitful night's sleep, they found a small kiosk where they ate some muffins and juice; again they had to break into it, but they were glad the power, and thus the refrigerated cases, were still working.

Still, food would soon become a problem if Remi's twisted game went on for long. Food would go rotten or stale even in refrigerators given enough time. Still, they had no idea how long this madness would last.

Eventually, they turned again to the riddle they had gotten from Lucky Seven.

_Where German sausage was perfected,_

_And children's laughter is expected,_

_Your next task soon will be detected._

"C'mon, Muto," said Yugi to himself. "It's a riddle. Can't you get a simple riddle?"

"Wait," said Peter. "I think I know the answer… hot dogs!"

"What?" said Mary.

"Hot dogs… frankfurters… were invented in Germany," said Peter. "In fact, the name comes from the town of Frankfurt."

"Go on…" said Yugi.

"But where were they 'perfected'?" continued Peter. "Coney Island! That's the place most people think of when they think of hot dogs and New York City!"

"Of course!" said Yugi. "And there's an amusement park there, a place where 'children's laughter is expected'! We have to go to Coney Island Amusement Park, people."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" said Clive. "A little problem…"

"Yeah?" said Yugi.

"Coney Island is in the southern tip of Brooklyn!" said Clive. "We're in the northern tip of Manhattan! It would take about two days walk to get there!"

"Unless…" said Yugi.

"Unless what?" said Clive.

"Are the subways still running?"

They all looked at each other.

"Come with me," he said.

A long walk later, they descended the stairs into the 125th Street subway stop. They leapt over the turnstiles and walked to the tracks.

"Okay people," said Yugi. "If we take the 5 Train to Broadway and then switch to the D, we should get to Coney Island in about an hour… if Remi is making it easy for us and allowing the trains to run…"

As if to answer him, a rumbling sound reached their ears, the light of the subway came down the tunnel, and the 5 Train pulled up.

"How nice of Remi," said Mary, sarcastically, as they boarded.

"But why?" said Clive, as they took their seats.

"Clive," said Mary, "he wants us to duel his goons so they can kill us. They can't do that if we can't get to the dueling stations."

"I see," said Clive.

"This stinks," said Peter. "Why don't we just tell him to stick his little game where the sun doesn't shine?"

"Because if we don't," said Yugi, "twenty-five million innocent hostages perish. Much as I hate to say it, we have no choice. It's his game, and until another option opens up, we can only do our best to play it… even if it means we don't survive the attempt…"

The train sped through the dark tunnels southwards, where a new threat waited.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A change of trains and about an hour later, the team got off at the final stop of the D Train – the Coney Island subway station. The friends emerged from the station, and a short walk took them to the now-deserted amusement park, the summer attraction that was the pride and joy of Brooklyn, the seaside fun center known as Coney Island. But what was usually a bustling hub of activity full of children, teenagers, and the young of heart was now empty. The Ferris wheels and roller coasters had halted, and the midway lights had dimmed.

"So where to," said Mary. "Our opponent could be anywhere…"

All of a sudden, the place sprang to life!

The colored lights came on, the motors of the park came to life, and carnival music came from all directions.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" said a voice over the loudspeakers. "Don't miss out on the dueling opportunity of a lifetime! Test your luck, test your skill, in the ultimate battle! Let's get ready to duel boys and girls!"

"Where are you?" said Yugi.

The voice laughed. "Don't be blind little boy, I'm right in front of you!"

"What does he mean by…" said Yugi. "Oh."

In front of them was a large building that looked like a funhouse or haunted house. But on the outside walls of the funhouse, rather than the normal clowns or carnival monsters, it was decorated by caricatures of famous creatures from the Duel Monsters. The Dark Magician, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Summoned Skull, Flame Swordsman, and Harpie Lady, among others, all adorned the walls, all of them looking like they had been transformed by Maximillion Pegasus's Toon World.

"I don't know whether to laugh or throw up!" said Mary, looking at the place.

"Come on people," said Yugi. "I have a feeling the inside will be even worse…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He was right. In the inside of the building, more crazy caricatures adorned the walls. Yugi felt sick looking at them.

His only consolation was that whoever this guy was, he couldn't have that original Toon World card, no matter how great Remi's Rare Hunters were. Maximillion's card was unique, and he knew for a fact that his daughter had destroyed it.

They entered a large chamber where a dueling station had been set up. Four huge boxes, ten feet tall, were in each corner. They all stayed alert.

Then the box next to them opened on top, and to their horror, a huge jack-in the box popped out. It glared at them with a fiendish face, and lifted a huge mallet!

"Scatter!" said Yugi. They ran, as the jack brought the mallet down with a crash!

Mary ran towards the other end of the room. As she caught her breath, the lid on the box she had ran to opened.

"Mary!" shouted Clive. "Watch out!"

"Huh?" said Mary.

Another fiendish jack popped out, this one holding a huge bow and arrow! She screamed and ran. The jack shot one arrow at her, and then reloaded its bow. She dodged them, and then backed up against a wall.

The archer-in-the-box aimed…

Yugi picked up one of the spent arrows and hurled it like a dart. It impaled the archer through the head! Sparks flew, and it collapsed.

Mary looked up at Yugi. The Spirit had merged with him.

"Where's Clive and Peter?" he said.

"THERE!" said Mary. She pointed to another corner, where the two of them had run to a third box. Before she could shout her warning, a third jack popped out, holding a scythe!

The monster took two swings at them as they backed up. On the third swing, Clive caught the handle of the scythe and ripped it out of its hands! He stabbed the thing in the chest, and it fell.

They all backed away from the fourth box, and stared at it…

It opened with a loud "BOING!!" and a man flew out of it. He did a triple flip, and landed on his feet in front of them. He laughed a cackling laugh.

"Hoo-hoo!" said Paste-Face. "Marvelous! That was really funny… I wish I'd had my camera!"

"Funny…" said Clive. He grabbed the clown by the neck. "You think that was _funny_?! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break your funny neck, you lunatic!"

"I'll give you a good reason," laughed Paste-Face. "You all are locked in… kill me and you'll starve in here."

Clive released him. "I take it you're the owner of this freak show?" said Yugi.

"Paste-Face, at your service," said the clown. "And about the jacks… okay, I'm sorry. Wanted to get you in the mood. After all, this is Duel Monsters… clash of the titans, as you know.

"But if you want to get out of here, you're going to have to duel me… and I think I'll duel… I don't know… how about you, chuckles?"

He pointed to Peter.

"Me?" said Peter.

"Yeah, step up to the bar, big guy!" said Paste-Face. "Let's see if your Monsters can make me laugh!"

"I have a bad feeling about this…" said Yugi.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Peter and Paste-Face took their places at the dueling station.

"You can do it, Peter," said Clive. "Cream this clown."

"So, Paste-Face, was it?" said Peter. "What exactly happens to the loser of this duel?"

Paste-Face chuckled.

"Oh, don't concern yourself with that," said Paste-Face. "It will just distract you!"

"I'd be more distracted not knowing!" said Peter.

Paste-Face laughed again. "Suffice to say that if you lose, which you _will,_ you will be quite dead! Now shuffle and draw!"

Unseen to anybody, Paste-Face pressed a small button with his foot, and an unseen danger began to creep into the room.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his lair, Remi was watching.

"Duel Monsters is my favorite game," he said. "But I also love chess. And here is the part where I'll take Yugi's first Knight… the one known as Peter.

"He has no idea the adverse conditions he'll be forced to duel under now. From this point on, I have no intention of playing fair…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back in the funhouse, the two were set.

Gee, thought Peter. I feel woozy all of a sudden.

"Ready little boy?" said Paste-Face.

"Yeah," said Peter. "And I'm gonna wipe that smile clean off your face!"

"LET'S DUEL!!" they said.

"Guess I'll go first," said Paste-Face looking at his hand. "Ugh, lousy cards, lousy! So I'll first play Graceful Charity!"

He put the card down.

"I draw three cards…"

He looked at them.

"…and I'll discard two. That's much better! I'll set two cards facedown, and summon the Dark Rabbit in Attack Mode!"

He placed the cards down. A cackling laughter erupted on the grid, and a deranged cartoon rabbit appeared. (1,100/1,500)

"Your move, Petey-boy.

The Dark Rabbit? thought Peter. Why'd he play such a weak Monster? Ugh, hard to think straight… am I coming down with something? He has two facedown cards… but I can't give up this chance to get an early lead…

"I summon the Vilepawn Archfiend, in Attack Mode," said Peter. He put the card down, and a rumbling sound shook the grid; an armored demon soldier carrying a sword crawled out of the ground. (1,200/200)

"Attack!" said Peter. "En passant strike attack!"

"Peter no!" said Yugi. "He's setting a Trap!"

The Vilepawn charged forward, and Paste-Face flipped over a card.

"Stop right there!" he said. "I activate the Fairy Box!"

"Fairy Box?!" said Peter.

A carnival game machine that looked like a whack-a-mole – with cylinders in place of the moles – appeared in front of the Vilepawn, with the cylinders moving up and down. Carnival music started to play.

"Your Vilepawn can't attack until this Box stops its song," said Paste-Face. "And if the number of cylinders in the up position is an even number when it stops, his Attack score will drop to zero!"

"Oh no!" said Mary.

The music slowed down… and the Fairy Box stopped, with four cylinders up!

"Oh, too bad for your Vilepawn," said Paste-Face, as the Box vanished. "Dark Rabbit, let him have it! Rabbit punch attack!"

A boxing glove appeared on the Dark Rabbit's hand. Cackling madly, he wound up and slugged the Archfiend, blowing him away. Peter's Life Points fell all the way to 900.

Doesn't make sense, thought Yugi. Why would Peter make such an obvious mistake?

He noticed something.

And what's that weird smell? he mused.

"So Petey-boy," said Paste-Face. "Any other move you'd like to make now that you blew that one?"

Peter looked at his hand. Now why didn't I play this first? he thought.

"I play the Fissure card!" he said, slapping it down.

The grid shook, and the Dark Rabbit shook apart. Paste-Face's Life points went down to 1,725.

"Clever, play," said Paste-Face. "But my turn now…"

He drew.

"I summon Saggi the Dark Clown, in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the blue and purple clown appeared, laughing. (600/1,500)

"I could devastate you with a Direct Attack right now," said Paste-Face. "But I think I'll just end my turn now and let you contemplate what my strategy possibly could be!"

Peter shook his head in an attempt to clear it. I can take out that clown… he though.

"Desrook Archfiend, in Attack Mode!" he said. "And I lay one card facedown."

He put the cards down and a sinister rook with metallic tentacles rose into view in a burst of light. (1,100/1,800)

"This will kill your laughter," said Peter.

"Peter!" said Yugi. "Wait!"

"Attack!" said Peter. "King's castling attack!"

The Desrook reached forward with his tentacles…

Paste-Face lifted up his other facedown card. "Forgot about my other facedown, didja?" he said. It had the image of a baseball diamond on it. "It's little thing called Triple-Play!"

"Triple-Play?" said Clive. "I don't like the sound of that…"

"It's a rare and powerful Spell Card," said Yugi. "It can triple the Attack power of any Monster with an Attack of 1,000 or less!"

"Correct, Yugi-o!" said Paste-Face, putting it down. Saggi glowed with energy. "And now that my clown is 1,800 Attack points strong, that's more than enough to fend off your worthless rook! Saggi, counter-attack with dark glide!"

Saggi blasted Desrook with a ball of dark energy, smashing it to pieces. Peter's Life Points fell to 200.

"Ooh, I'll bet that hurt," said Paste-Face.

"Make your move…" said Peter.

This is crazy, thought Yugi. Peter is playing like an amateur!

He closed his eyes. Somehow, he thought, there must be… wait… that feeling. Slight dizziness… numbness…

He opened his eyes and looked to the wall behind Peter.

"Mary," said Yugi. "Come with me."

Mary followed him as they crossed to the other side of the room.

"Oh, I will make my move, Petey-boy," said Paste-Face, "and you're about to lose! Saggi, finish him with a Direct Attack!"

Saggi charged… and then stumbled, falling into a small pit. As he got up, he was held down by sticky goo!

"I placed a Trap of my own," said Peter. "The Adhesion Trap Hole! Not only did I halt Saggi's attack, but his Attack score is now reduced by half!"

Saggi's Attack score fell to 900.

"Well, you may have crippled my clown, but don't get too self-conscious!" said Paste-Face. Your Life Points are at a mere 200… one more successful attack will destroy you!

"Face it, kiddo, your going to…"

And then a whirring sound came on somewhere in the room.

"Huh?" said Paste-Face. "Who turned the fan on?!"

"That would be us," said Mary.

She and Yugi were standing in front of a an opened panel which was labeled "Manual Controls."

"And that isn't all we did," said Yugi, who was angry. He pointed up. "I realized your little plot, Paste-Face. You were using that vent behind Peter to continually spray him with nitrous oxide – better known as laughing gas – to cloud his mind and destroy his concentration! You just didn't realize that gas tends to spread, and it was only a matter of time before I realized it was there! Of course, a giggling manic like _you_ has little to fear from laughing gas!"

Paste-Face clenched his fists.

He held up his Puzzle. "My Millennium Puzzle despises cheating, so it easily led us to the shut-off switch, as well as the fan used for clearing the air. Now as soon as Peter regains his composure, you have no choice but to play fair and square!"

"Bah!" said Paste-Face. "Even without my fail-safe plan, I will be victorious!"

"I don't think so, clown," said Peter. "It's my move, and I feel better already."

He drew a card from his hand. "Shadowknight Archfiend, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

An even nastier demon soldier with wings, a sword, and a huge claw for a left hand came into view with a gust of wind! (2,000/1,600)

"Go my Archfiend!" said Peter. "Knight's four-square fury attack!"

The Shadowknight slashed his sword four times, and Saggi was sliced to pieces.

"Of course," said Peter, "the Shadowknight only does half-damage when he attacks, but at least he got rid of your Clown."

Paste-Face's Life Points fell to 1,175.

"And I'll finish my move by using Soul of the Pure," said Peter. He placed down the card, and his Life Points went up to 1,000.

"Thanks, Yugi," said Peter. "I really think I beat this guy now."

"Don't be so sure," said Paste-Face. He drew. "Ah, I just drew the card to take down that Knight! First, I'll use Goblin's Secret Remedy!"

He put down the Spell Card, and his Life Points went up to 1,775.

Now, I'll summon the Witty Phantom in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and the charming fiend in a top hat and tails came into view. (1,400/1,300)

"And now the powerful Equip card… Megamorph!" He held it up.

"You're a bigger fool than I thought," said Peter. "Your Life Points are greater than mine, so that Equip will cut your Phantom's Attack power in half!"

"Whoever said I was going to Equip it to my Phantom?" said Paste-Face. "I'm Equipping it to your Shadowknight!"

"What? No!" said Peter.

Paste-Face cackled as he placed it down, and the ring of magical energy surrounded the Shadowknight. His Attack score fell to 1,000.

"Witty Phantom, ATTACK!!" said Paste-Face.

The Phantom charged forward and punched the Archfiend. The Shadowknight vanished, and Peter's Life Points fell to 600.

"Heh, heh," said Paste-Face. "Check!"

"Curse your damn Phantom…" said Peter.

"Don't say, that, you'll hurt his feelings!" said Paste-Face. "Sure, he's evil, but he's a hard, dedicated worker who loves his job. He's quite popular with all the lady demons!"

This guy is nuts, said Peter, drawing.

Hmm, he said. A Spell Card. This could tip the duel in my favor… but the risk is great…

He looked at the scores.

Have to try it, he thought.

"First I'll lay one card facedown," he said.

He put the card down.

He looked hard at the card he had been looking at.

Here goes, he thought.

"Hey, Paste-Face," he said.

"Yes?"

"Mind if I test my luck with a little game?"

He held his card up. "It's called Reversal Quiz!" He placed it down.

"Reversal Quiz?" said Paste-Face. "What does that do?"

"I'll show you," said Peter. "First, I must send every card in my hand to the discard pile…"

He folded his hand and discarded it.

"Now, I'm allowed one draw," he said. "But if before I draw, I can predict whether the card will be a Monster, Magic, or Trap card, I win the Quiz, and our Life Point scores will switch!"

"What?!" said Paste-Face.

"Oh, man!" said Clive. "If Peter guesses wrong, he'll be in even worse shape… he'll have only one card in his hand!"

"Have faith people…" said Yugi.

Peter looked at his deck and started to sweat. Concentrate, he said. Forget that you were breathing nitrous oxide a few minutes ago. Just like Yugi said, believe in the Heart of the Cards…

"I do believe…" he said.

The room fell into dead silence.

"That the card I will draw will be… a Monster Card!"

His hand went down to his deck and he snatched the top card.

He looked at it.

"Ha!" he said. "Read it and weep, chuckles! The Sasuke Samurai!"

"Arrggh!!" said Paste-Face.

"Aw, don't be a sore loser, buddy," said Peter. The scores switched, and Peter now had 1,775, with Paste-Face in the red at 600.

"That Monster looks like Bomberman with a sword," said Mary. "And his stats are terrible!"

"Yes, but it was still enough to let Peter win the Quiz," said Yugi. "Let's hope he can pull through after discarding his whole hand. He only has one move he can make now."

"I'll play this little guy in Defense Mode and end my turn," said Peter, putting the card down.

The Sasuke Samurai appeared. (500/800)

Paste-Face was now in a rage. "Destroy that thing, Phantom!" he commanded. The Witty Phantom socked the Samurai, blowing him apart.

"And now I'll use another Goblin's Secret Remedy card," he said, placing a card down. His Life Points went up to 1,200. "Make your move."

Peter drew.

"I play Pot of Greed!" he said, putting down the Spell Card. The smiling red jar appeared.

He made two draws.

Huh, he thought. I could have used this last round, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Meet the greatest drum soloist of the Underworld!" said Peter. "I summon Thunder Nyan Nyan, in Attack Mode!"

A shape arose from his side of the grid in a burst of lightning. Seated behind a drum set was a red-haired woman with horns dressed in a leopard skin. (1,900/800)

"You said your Phantom was popular with the lady demons?" said Peter. "Well I'm afraid he doesn't impress Nyan Nyan too much! Thunder Nyan Nyan, drum solo of death attack!"

Thunder Nyan Nyan played on her drums, and when she hit the cymbal, a bolt of lightning flew from them, which incinerated the Witty Phantom. Paste-Face's Life Points went down to 700.

"And I place one card facedown," said Peter.

I don't know what's annoying me more, thought Paste-Face. The fact that I'm losing or the fact his jokes are better than mine!

He drew.

Ah, he thought.

"I'll first summon the Crass Clown in Attack Mode," he said, putting a card down. The fat, laughing clown-fiend appeared. (1,350/1,400)

What? thought Peter. Nyan Nyan can easily defeat him…

"And since you like games so much," said Paste-Face, "you certainly won't mind playing another one…" He held a Spell Card up. "It's called simply Question!"

"Question?" said Peter.

Paste-Face put it down. "Here's how it works," he said. "All _you_ have to do is guess what the first Monster was that I had to discard to my Graveyard pile. If you guess correctly, I have to remove it from play; guess wrong, and I get to Special Summon it right now!

"So think back," he continued. "What Monster lies at the bottom of my Graveyard?"

Peter held his forehead. Okay, he thought. Now what was that first Monster of his I destroyed? Wait, it was… of course!

"The Dark Rabbit!" he said. "That's my answer, pal!"

"Heh, heh," said Paste-Face. He picked up his discard pile. "Wrong!"

"Wrong?" said Peter. "He was the first Monster I destroyed!"

"But not the first one I discarded!" said Paste-Face. "I played Graceful Charity on my first move remember? It let me draw three cards, and discard two… including this one, the Dream Clown! So you lose!"

"No fair!" said Mary. "Peter never had a chance!"

"That's the risk you take when challenging the Question card!" said Paste-Face. "So like YOU said before, don't be a sore loser!"

He put the card down, and the Dream Clown appeared. (1,200/900)

"Oh no," said Mary. "I know what those two Monsters can do together…"

"You've got it girly," said Paste-Face. "I'm bringin' 'em together with my Polymerization card!"

He put the card down, and the two clowns blurred into swirls of colors, which combined together.

In a flash, a green box covered with stars and moons appeared on the floor of the grid.

"Presenting," said Paste-Face, "the unbelievable, unforgettable, fiendish funnyman known only as… Bickuribox!"

The box sprang open, and a demonic jack in the box sprang out. Devilish laughter erupted from it as it made the silliest of faces. (2,300/2,000)

"Uh, Mary," said Clive. "Didn't you use this guy once?"

"Only once," said Mary. "And I doubt I will again…"

"Bickuribox," said Paste-Face. "Attack Thunder Nyan Nyan with jack-in-the-box slash attack!"

Bickuribox produced a large scythe and sprang forward. Nyan Nyan screamed as the Fiend struck, cutting her apart. Peter's life Points fell to 1,325.

"Oh, I hate it when a woman goes all to pieces like that," said Paste-Face.

"You're a lunatic," said Peter.

"I thought I was a Scorpio," said Paste-Face. "Your move."

Peter drew.

Perfect, he thought.

"I'll first play this gal in Attack Mode," he said. "Marie the Fallen One!"

He put the card down. A very depressed looking female Fiend with black skin and feathered wings, dressed in a peasant's outfit, appeared. (1,700/1,200)

"Huh?" said Paste-Face. "What's wrong with her? Did her boyfriend dump her?"

"I'll tell you why Marie is so sad," said Peter. "She was once a noble angel, but she was kicked out of Heaven after being tricked by evil Fiends into committing terrible crimes against her fellows."

Marie glared at Bickuribox.

"As you might guess," said Peter, "she _really_ hates other Fiends… ones like that demented jack-in-the box!"

"Well she's going to have a hard time getting revenge," said Paste-Face. "His Attack points are six hundred points higher!"

"Not for long," Peter said. He flipped his facedown card. "Shadow Spell!"

"What?!" said Paste-Face.

Chains erupted from all sides of the grid, wrapping around the Bickuribox!

"Now I've not only captured your Bickuribox in escape-proof shackles," said Peter, "but 700 points will be deducted from its Attack score!"

The Bickuribox's Attack fell to 1,600.

"Now, Marie," said Peter, "cursed claws attack!"

Marie flew forward and swiped at the Bickuribox with her talons. It smashed apart. Paste-Face's Life Points fell to 600.

Paste-Face drew.

"I hope that made Marie happy," he said. "Because soon she'll be even worse off than before! I summon the Parrot Dragon in Attack Mode!"

He placed a card down, and the huge cartoon parrot appeared in an explosion. (2,000/1,300)

"But wait, there's more!" said Paste-Face. "I'll Equip him with Dragon Treasure!"

He put down the Equip card, and the Parrot Dragon's score changed to 2,300 over 1,600.

"But I won't attack this round," said Paste-Face. "I'll just give Marie a minute or two to gaze upon her impending doom!

"After all, you have no cards in your hand! Whatever you draw next likely won't protect her…

"I'll just finish by laying one card facedown, and it's your move."

"Hang in there, Peter," said Mary. "We believe in you!"

C'mon, thought Peter as he reached for his deck. Remember what Yugi said. Trust the Heart of the Cards…

He drew.

"YES!" he said. "This game is about to change dramatically, clown!" he said. "I just drew the Card of Sanctity!"

"Card of Sanctity?!" said Paste-Face.

"A powerful card," said Peter, "I place it, like so, and we both draw until we have six cards."

Both of them made several draws. Peter gained the most out of it, gaining six new cards.

All right! he thought. I couldn't have hoped for a better set!

"First," he said, "I play one card facedown."

Paste-Face's eyes perked as he lay the card down.

"Now I'll summon one of Marie's old friends from the bliss of Paradise, the one angel who argued against banishing her… The Forgiving Maiden, in Attack Mode!"

He slapped the card down, and a holy woman in a gray robe appeared, chanting a prayer. (850/2,000)

"And now," said Peter. "The Polymerization card!"

He placed it down, and both Marie the Fallen One and The Forgiving Maiden began to glow. The Maiden hugged Marie.

"Here's how it works clown," said Peter. The Maiden merges with Marie, her holy power granting her forgiveness, and allowing her to ascend back to the lofty heights from which she was banished! In the process, a powerful force is created…"

The glowing forms coalesced, and in a radiant burst, took form. A glorious woman in armor with a brilliant sword, surrounded by a halo of light stepped forth.

"I give you, St. Joan!" shouted Peter.

St. Joan lifted her sword. (2,800/2,000)

"Wow!" said Mary. "She's beautiful…"

"Yes," said Yugi. "And powerful."

"What's the matter clown?" said Peter. "Scared? I'd be scared if I were you! St. Joan, attack that overgrown canary! Holy sword slash!"

"Not so fast," said Paste-Face.

He flipped over his facedown card. Joan gave a cry of surprise…

She was trapped in the Spellbinding Circle!

Paste-Face cackled. "So much for your holy warrior!" he said. "My Circle entraps her, and reduces her Attack score to a far more manageable level!"

St. Joan's attack went down to 2,100.

"No!" said Mary. "She was Peter's best Monster!"

"Don't give up hope yet, Mary," said Yugi.

He eyed Peter's own facedown card.

"Face it, Petey, your angel is toast!" said Paste-Face. "Just end your move!"

"Mmm!" said Peter.

"Good," said Paste-Face. "Parrot Dragon, attack St. Joan!"

The Dragon spread its wings…

"Stop right there!" said Peter.

"Huh?" said Paste-Face.

"I won't let Joan's noble soul be defeated by some demonic reject from a Saturday morning children's show!" he said. "And with my Trap Card, I'll rescue her."

He held up his facedown Trap Card, showing a robed man with a magical circle behind him.

"A… a Trap card?!" said Paste-Face.

"It's called Trap Displacement, sucker!" said Peter, putting it down. "Why do you think I had Joan charge into battle so recklessly? With this Trap, I can remove the Spellbinding Circle from St. Joan, and place it on another Monster… namely, yours!"

With that, the Spellbinding Circle vanished from around Joan and appeared around the Dragon. Her Attack went back up to 2,800, while the Parrot Dragon's fell to 1,600!

"NOOO!" said Paste-Face. "My Life Points won't last another round with that Circle trapping my Dragon!!"

"Oh come now, Paste-Face," said Peter. "They won't even last _this_ round! St. Joan, destroy the Parrot Dragon with holy sword slash!"

Joan leapt up, and brought her sword down on the demented Dragon in a deafening blow. It was vanquished. Paste-Face's Life Points fell to zero.

"Now what do you say to that?" said Peter.

Paste-Face stared in silence.

Then he started to chuckle.

He broke out into a laugh, and then started cackling at the top of his lungs.

What the? thought Yugi.

Paste-Face laughed and laughed, as sweat poured down his face, smearing his makeup. Peter gathered his cards and stepped down from the station. All they could do was watch the clown as he laughed so hard it looked like he would burst.

Then he fell face-first on the console. His laughter slowly abated, and died down.

Yugi went up and pushed the button that lowered his stand. Paste-Face was rigid. Yugi felt for a pulse. He didn't find one.

Then he noticed a large dart in the back of his neck. Yugi carefully removed it.

"A dart," said Yugi. "Obviously tipped with a potent venom that made him laugh himself to death."

"Ugh," said Peter. "That could have been me…"

"At least he died happy," said Yugi. He closed the dead man's eyes.

He looked through the clown's clothing, and sure enough, an envelope was there. He opened and read:

_Someone's in trouble, and I ain't lyin';_

_Your labor will take a lot of tryin'; _

_Prove you're tough, and don't be cryin'._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So," said Remi, who had been watching. "Yugi and his friends have proved victorious again…"

He paced back and forth in his antechamber. "I must give Yugi credit. He has amassed an impressive band of disciples…"

He turned to the adjoining room, where a lone figure still stood in silence.

"But the next battle will pit Yugi himself against his greatest challenge. Think you can win Yugi? You will have a hard time winning this duel…

"Because despite the danger you will be in, I doubt you will even want to…"

Little did Remi know, a power greater than him had found a chink in the supposedly impenetrable dome of shadow that he erected around the city.

And as he plotted, a new enemy unlike any he could imagine was making his way towards his Castle.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TRIPLE PLAY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A baseball diamond with the bases loaded.

**Card Description: **Select one Monster with an ATK of 1,000 or less. Triple the ATK of the selected Monster until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TRAP DISPLACEMENT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A dark-robed priest in front of a magic circle.

**Card Description: **Activate when a Monster you control is targeted by an opponent's Trap Card. Switch the target of the Trap Card to a face-up Monster your opponent controls.

_Note: "Trap Displacement" was originally used in the original anime episode "Yugi Versus Pegasus; Match of the Millennium (Part Two)." Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes._


	8. Prophecy of Shadows

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Seven**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Prophecy of Shadows**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Remi plugged his Siphon into the huge gemstone. The number went up to 03.47.

He grimaced. Oh well, he thought. After today is done, the number will be much higher.

He gazed down upon Brooklyn, where the four friends were pondering the riddle.

Then he went into his side room, where the lone figure still patiently waited.

"Now go," said Remi. "And do not disappoint me."

He pointed his Millennium Rod, and the figure vanished.

Soon they will solve that riddle, thought Remi, and I will take great delight in seeing what comes next.

For how can he…

He stopped in mid-thought.

"Odd," he said aloud. "I sense something… something powerful…"

He turned around. He seemed alone. But someone was coming.

How? He had made every precaution to make this Castle unassailable. No one could have entered without his permission.

He gripped his Rod. Well, whoever it was would be sorry, he thought.

Suddenly, a portal of light appeared in the floor, and a man rose from it. Remi stepped back agape.

He was a tall man, with tanned skin. He wore a white turban and a flowing robe. His eyes were deep blue.

He glared at him.

Around his neck hung a golden ankh, about a foot long– the Egyptian symbol of life.

He folded his arms and looked around at the décor.

"Interesting, interesting," he said. "You do seem to have a passion for art, Remi. How many poor souls did your Hunters murder to get you it all?"

"How dare you invade my Castle?" said Remi. He yanked the hidden dagger out of the Millennium Rod. "No one trespasses on the sanctuary of the Heir of Marik and lives!"

"Put that dagger away, Remi," said the man. "You have no idea who you are dealing with!"

He glared at Remi with a look that chilled him to the bone. Remi shivered, and replaced the dagger.

The man walked across the chamber. He glanced at the huge gemstone and shook his head.

Remi regained his composure. "GUARDS!!" he shouted.

"Your precious Rare Hunters cannot hear you, Remi," said the man. "They will be fast asleep for about two hours or so. You see, you are not the only person here who possesses a Millennium Item."

He pointed to the ankh.

"Wait," said Remi. "That ankh around your neck… that's the Millennium Key! I've read about it…"

"Yes," said the man. "And it gives me great powers, just as your Rod does; and I assure you, your item pales in comparison to mine."

"Who are you?!" demanded Remi.

"Why should I reveal my name?" responded the man. "You have taken pains to keep your real name a secret from everyone, answering only to a silly anagram.

"But I'll tell you anyway. I am called Shadi, and all long my life, I have existed to guard and watch over the seven Millennium Items.

"But sometimes I wonder why I even bother."

"Huh?" said Remi.

"It seems," said Shadi, "that in recent times, almost all the Items have been used for nothing but evil purposes. The Eye, the Ring… I sometimes even question if my attempts to prevent evil with my Key have not led to greater acts of evil. The man whose footsteps you follow committed some of the most evil acts imaginable with the Item you now hold.

"And now, you have committed one of the greatest atrocities ever with the Rod. And you plan more." He looked towards the gemstone. "I know of your evil scheme, Remi."

Remi started to speak, but Shadi interrupted him.

"You call yourself the Heir of Marik," he said. "I think that title fits you perfectly."

"Oh?" said Remi.

"Yes. Marik was a cowardly worm who could not conjure the courage to face his foes directly unless he was certain the advantage was his. He left his henchmen to do all his dirty work, and he held no love for them; he would sacrifice them without a second thought."

"Shut up!" said Remi. "I am by no means a coward!"

"So you say," said Shadi. He walked up to a table and picked something up.

"Oh, is this your deck?" he said. "Interesting…"

"Keep your filthy hands off that!" said Remi. He drew the dagger again.

"I do not like being threatened," said Shadi, without turning around. "You had best put that away before I turn you into a comatose vegetable."

Remi shook again, and lowered the dagger.

"You say you are not a coward," said Shadi. "Are you man enough to face yourself? To see what the future lies?"

"What?" said Remi.

"I have many talents," said Shadi. "I can take simple playing cards like these, and use them to look inside a man's very being, to see his hopes and dreams, and predict his destiny.

"I will ask you again… are you brave enough to face yourself?"

"I fear no man," said Remi. "Not even myself."

"Then I challenge you to a Shadow Game," said Remi. "A Shadow Game of Prophecy!"

Thunder struck in the sky behind him as he paused.

"A… a Shadow Game?" said Remi.

"Nothing to be afraid of," said Shadi. "And it might reveal to you things about yourself that even you do not know. Unless you are too much of a coward to discover such things."

"I told you," said Remi. "I… am… not… a… coward! What are the rules of your game?"

"First," said Shadi, "a little drawing."

He took a piece of red chalk from his robe and started to draw on the table. He first drew a five-pointed star, and then drew a circle around it.

"Pull up a seat," he said.

Remi took a chair and sat down by the table.

"Now then," said Shadi. "I have drawn a pentagram on the table, which will serve as the game board."

He held up Remi's deck. And then placed it to the left of the pentagram.

"I will use your deck as if they were tarot cards. They will serve as the window into your mind, your very essence. For the duration of this game, you and your cards are one.

"During the game, I will draw from your deck a total of ten cards. Each one will reveal a different aspect of what was, what is, and what may be."

"And what do I have to do?" said Remi.

"Control your rage," said Shadi. "You may not like what you see during the course of this game. But if at any time between the game's beginning and its end you should grow so angry that you lay even a finger on me or any of the cards, a Penalty Game will make certain that the only future awaiting you is the cold darkness of the grave."

Thunder rolled again.

"Do you accept?" said Shadi. "It is not to late to back out."

"I'm not afraid," said Remi. "Start the game."

"Very well," said Shadi. "Let the Shadow Game of Prophecy commence!"

A wave of energy emitted from his Key, and darkness surrounded him. Only the two of them, the table with the pentagram, and the deck of cards remained.

"Game start," said Shadi.

Shadi took the deck and thoroughly shuffled. He placed the deck back on the left side of the pentagram.

"Card Number One is known as 'Present Position'," said Shadi. "It represents you, Remi… at least you in the atmosphere in which you currently reside. This will give us a good look at just what you truly are at the present time."

He lifted up the card and flipped it over to the left.

The Archfiend Soldier.

Remi looked back.

"Interesting," said Shadi. "This creature is a Fiend… like you certainly are. He is powerful… as are you. But despite his power and status as an Archfiend, he is still a soldier. It says so in his name. He takes orders from a higher power. So while you are powerful, Remi, clearly a greater force of evil directs your actions.

"I suspected as much."

Shadi placed the card in the center of the pentagram.

Remi was getting upset, but that card wasn't far off. He didn't like being called a Fiend, but then, what else could he be? As for the "soldier" part, it couldn't be more right.

He was getting worried. This game might well reveal things he wouldn't want to know. But he couldn't stop the man in front of him… if he tried to, he'd be in a worse situation than Yugi.

"Now," said Shadi. "The second card is called 'Immediate Influence.' This will show the sphere of involvements and obstacles that lie just ahead of you; perhaps to help, or perhaps to hinder…"

He drew the next card.

"Interesting," he said.

He placed it to the left of the deck, and Remi's eyes opened wide. It was the Magic Formula card.

"An Equip card," said Shadi. "One used to boost the power of Spellcaster Monsters. Tell me Remi, do you know of anyone special who uses this card? One who uses Spellcasters? Perhaps someone who uses one as the central card of his deck? If so, this person is your Immediate Influence… and as this card makes him stronger, he might prove strong when dealing with you…"

Remi was aghast. It has to be Yugi, he thought. Him and his Dark Magician! What have I gotten myself into?!

Yugi took the card, and placed it over the Archfiend Soldier, crosswise.

"Time for the third card," said Shadi. "It is called 'Goal or Destiny.' This card will reveal your ultimate ambition, your greatest dream, what you hope to achieve among all else, even if you are unaware of it yet. Prepare yourself…"

He flipped the card, and this time both of them looked surprised.

The card was the frightful image of Dark Ruler Ha Des.

"My, but you have lofty ambitions," said Shadi. "The ruler of all Fiends. Clearly, unlike the Soldier, you wish to rule instead of serve… perhaps you wish to hold all of creation in your cruel grasp… but how fitting for someone who owns a device that can enslave the minds of others."

"I think that proves I am no coward," said Remi.

"It proves nothing of the sort," said Shadi. "Adolf Hitler meant to rule the world, but he was one of the most craven cowards of all.

"But the question remains, Remi," continued Shadi, "does this card represent your true destiny, or but a pipe dream? We must see what the rest of the cards hold before making that conclusion."

Remi was silent. Shadi placed the Monster card above the two crossed cards.

"Now let's continue, shall we," said Shadi. "We now delve into your past…"

Remi drew back.

"I thought that might get your attention," continued Shadi. "Card Number Four is called 'Distant Past Foundation'. It will tell the story of your earliest past… perhaps shed some light on who or what you were before you became the monster you are now…"

"Keep insulting me you jerk, and I'll…" started Remi, starting to get up.

"Remi, do not test me," said Shadi. "I told you the rules. If you strike me at any point in this game, you will die, plain and simple. I have no problem with making good on that threat."

"Y-yes… sir," said Remi, sitting back down.

"Do not call me 'sir'," said Shadi. "Now then, the Distant Past Foundation…"

He flipped the card over.

"Hmm," he said. "The Oppressed People card."

He looked at Remi. "Oppressed People," he said. "Tell me Remi, did you experience abuse in your childhood? Poverty? Slavery, even? Maybe that is the key… maybe a childhood in which you suffered led to resentment towards those in power. Perhaps your rage towards the world is not completely unjustified…"

He placed the card to the right of the crossed cards.

"It is something to think about," said Shadi.

Tears welled in Remi's eyes, as hideous memories flooded him. Painful memories of a taskmaster's whip, that of burning hunger and thirst, darkness of a cell… memories of helplessness…

NO! he thought. That is behind me! That helpless child is dead… DEAD! I am the Heir of Marik! I am strong! Strong…

"I know what you're thinking," said Shadi with a chuckle. "We cannot escape our past, Remi. The past cannot be undone. It is a part of you. But whatever horrible thing happened to you back then, you learned the wrong lesson from it.

"The next card is called 'Recent Past Events.' We might learn even more from this one."

He flipped the card. It was a very common card… but it was upside-down.

"Monster Reborn," said Shadi. "Interesting. Apparently, something happened to you in the interim, something that changed you, causing you to be 'reborn' into your current form. However, this card is in an inverted position, so maybe your rebirth was unpleasant… or twisted in nature…

"Perhaps this is why you call yourself the Heir of Marik," he continued. "Yes, I believe that is the case. He had something to do with your rebirth, didn't he? You carry his Rod, you wear his trappings… but I have to wonder just _how_ that beast influenced you so much… and why you so worship him. After all, he cared for no one but himself. Why would he have cared about _you_?"

Remi was silent. He wasn't about to tell this guy the truth. He had never told _anyone_ and was not about to start.

Shadi placed the card – still inverted – below the crossed cards.

"We now cross into serious territory," said Shadi. "The next card in called 'Future Influences'."

A chill went down Remi's spine.

"I know what you are thinking," said Shadi. He pointed to his head. "You can not hide your thoughts from _this_. But it is far to late to stop now… unless you stop me yourself. You must continue the game or accept the embrace of death!"

Remi paused. He actually considered the second option for a minute. He was really starting to regret agreeing to this game.

What was worse, dying, or knowing a future that might be bad news?

He sighed.

"Lead on," he said.

"Good," said Shadi. "I will explain what 'Future Influence' means. It is the sphere of influence coming to confront you in the near future. Like 'Immediate Influence,' it can bring you fortune or misfortune."

He flipped the card.

"Hmm, not good," said Shadi.

Remi looked at the card. it was the Trap Card called A Hero Emerges.

"What does it mean?" said Remi.

"Exactly what the card says," said Shadi. "Whenever villains are spawned… that would be you… heroes oppose them. Somewhere your opposition waits to challenge you. A confrontation is brewing between your forces and this hero.

"What will the outcome be, you may ask? Perhaps we will learn that from the rest of the cards."

Shadi took the card and placed it to the left of the crossed cards.

A hero… thought Remi. He must mean Yugi. He's the only one strong enough to oppose me… I can't stop this game now! I must know what lies in store! Will my plans succeed? I must know!

"Draw the next card!" he said. "Do it!"

"Patience, young one," said Shadi. "We must take these cards in order. Card Number Seven is called "The Subject'. And the subject in this case, is _you_. This next card will tell more about your nature than even the first card. It will show the real you in your present predicament."

He reached for the deck, and then paused.

"Afraid?" he said.

"I… don't… get… scared!!" sneered Remi.

"You lie," said Shadi. "You are sweating so much I can smell you. I feel fear emitting from you like the chill of an arctic breeze."

With a deft stroke, he flipped the card over.

"Fitting," he said in disgust.

The card was the Vampire Lord.

"What?" said Remi.

"That's just what you are," said Shadi. "A vampire. A ruthless parasite that is so cruel that he will take the very life essence from others to power his own twisted plans. Not even your henchmen, loyal as they are to you, are safe from your dark hunger. That is what makes you evil, Remi, like the undead horror here, you have put your goals ahead of your humanity!"

Remi was now furious. Not so much as by the insults, but by the shocking realization that it was the truth. He nearly forgot the rules Shadi had put before him and lifted his Rod.

But then he lowered it. He would not let this egotist destroy him.

"Continue…" he said.

Shadi took the card, and placed it way over in the lower right-hand corner of the pentagram, far away from the first six cards.

"Time for Card Number Eight," said Shadi. "It is called 'Environmental Factors.' This card will show your influence on others, and your position in life. It will reveal your current situation at the most primal level."

He flipped the card.

Contract With The Abyss.

"Now what?" said Remi.

"It could not be more clear," said Remi. "You have gained your great power through bargaining with forces greater than yourself. Dark forces, obviously. This Castle, the barrier surrounding the city, maybe even your origins, are all the result of aid from evil forces. I would tread cautiously if I were you… forces like these can often destroy those who dare play in their domain."

He placed the card above the Vampire Lord card.

Remi started taking deep breaths. Only two cards remained to be drawn. What would they show?

"Card Nine is a powerful card known as 'Inner Emotions'." said Shadi. "This card will look into your mind deeper than any other. It will tell your thoughts, your fears, your hopes… and your attitude on the whole situation you have put before you…"

He flipped the card. It was the Spell Card…

"Gamble?!" said Remi. "What the hell does that card have to do with my emotions?"

Shadi chuckled. "The Gamble card's name is all that is needed. When one gambles, there is chance, and when there is chance, there is uncertainty. Your mind is full of doubt, Remi. You are not as sure of yourself in your endeavor as you believe yourself to be. Perhaps that is why you stay up here in your dark fortress, afraid to confront your enemy… you doubt your abilities!"

This time Remi actually stood up.

"Listen to me, you turbaned freak!" he said. "I'm going to tear you a new…"

"Really now, Remi, do you really wish to lose at this point?" said Shadi. "Will you attack me and perish right before I draw the most vital card of all?"

Remi caught his breath. "No…" he said.

"Then _sit down_!!" said Shadi. He grabbed Remi by the shoulder and slammed him down into his chair.

"Never said _I_ could not touch _you._" he said casually.

My word! thought Remi. He's stronger than he looks!

Shadi slowly placed the Gamble card above Contract With The Abyss.

"Now, the final card," said Shadi. "It is called 'Final Result.' This card, Remi, will tell your ultimate fate. The outcome of your future lies in this next draw…"

As his hand neared the pile, Remi began to sweat.

Shadi drew. He looked at the card and smiled.

He placed it down.

It was Exile of the Wicked.

"What?!" said Remi. "What does it mean?!"

"What do you think?" said Shadi. "This card means the doom of Fiends… people like you. Your plans will likely fail… you will be defeated by your foes… and you will perish at their hands, just as any Fiend will who faces this Spell Card!"

"No!" said Remi. "NO! I don't believe you!"

"Game over," said Shadi.

He snapped his fingers, and the light came back. They were back in the antechamber.

Shadi turned around and started to walk away from him. Remi was a nervous wreck.

"Wait!" begged Remi. "Is there any chance? Any at all?"

Shadi paused.

"At any point in time," he said. "There are several possible futures which the present may grow into. My Shadow Game of Prophecy showed only the most likely one. It is possible that a brighter future exists for you, Remi, but it requires more on your part. You _are_ a coward, Remi, just like Marik was, and if you remain one, your wicked ambitions will be the end of you.

"Keep in mind that while I may have given you a warning, I oppose what you are doing with every fiber of my being. I may not be able halt your plans alone, but I intend to aid those who can. From this point on, we are enemies. Do not seek me out. Do not interfere with my business. And if I interfere with yours – and I will – do not seek vengeance. You cannot hope to defeat me in a direct conflict. Believe me, men stronger than you have tried.

"The last bit of free advice I can give you this: halt this madness before it is too late. Free this city from your spell. Reject the dark powers and relinquish your Rod. The authorities might give you some clemency at this point. Prison is unpleasant, but surely it is preferable to death. It is not too late for you at this point, but soon it will be…"

The portal opened beneath his feet, and he vanished.

A coward am I? thought Remi.

Anger overtook him.

Give up my plans, he thought. Reject my benefactor… Never! I've worked towards this all my life…

He looked towards the huge gemstone.

"And I won't give up on you now because of some crazy soothsayer!" he screamed.

"Tarot cards," he said. "Shadow Games, prophecies… madness!! He likely rigged that whole card trick! He doesn't scare me!"

We brought his hand down on his deck, and the cards spilled on the floor.

He went to his viewing screen, and looked down at Yugi and his friends who were still trying to solve his riddle.

Haven't they gotten it yet?! he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Someone's in trouble, and I ain't lyin';_

_Your labor will take a lot of tryin'; _

_Prove you're tough, and don't be cryin'._

"This is hard," said Mary.

"Oh, I get it!" said Yugi.

"What?" said Clive.

"'Labors', and 'lyin', which sounds like 'lion'," said Yugi. "It's a reference to Hercules."

"Huh?" said Clive.

"He went on his Twelve Labors, the first of which was to slay a monstrous lion," said Yugi.

He took out his _Fodor's Guide to New York._

"Which makes our most likely goal," he said flipping through it, "the Hercules Iron Man Gym, located just a few subway stops from here! Come on!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Seems they got the riddle," said Remi. "Well! I'll show that stupid Egyptian just how much of a coward I am…"

He picked up his guitar and strapped it on his back. Then he walked down the hallway of his Castle, opened a large set of double doors, and walked out upon a balcony under the open air.

He took from his pocket a sparkling, multicolored gemstone, the size of a fist, on which there was writing.

"I will supervise this next duel… _personally_," he said. "It might even be fun!"

He held the gemstone up and chanted:

_Shining bridge and bright rainbow,_

_Take me to the ground below._

A huge rainbow sprang from the Castle of Dark Illusions, Reaching down into Brooklyn. Remi stepped on it, and was magically whisked down to terra firma.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his friends came to the front doors of the Hercules Iron Man Gym. Their watches read two-thirty.

They walked in, and among the treadmills, exercise bikes, and weight machines, a very large dueling station.

"Well, we're here!" shouted Yugi.

"So you are," said a familiar voice.

Remi stepped out from behind the station, his Rod glowing brightly.

"Hello, folks," he said.

"REMI!!" shouted Yugi.

"Yes Yugi, it is I," he said, sarcastically. "How awfully perceptive of you. You've come far Muto, but I'm afraid this will be your final curtain.

"You won't be winning this time, Yugi. Prepare your deck, and say your prayers.

"But do not despair, Yugi," he continued with an evil grin. "I am not completely without mercy. I will grant you a warrior's death, in a duel that will be the greatest you have experienced…"

"You talk to much, and you underestimate me," said Yugi, who was visibly upset. "I suggest you get your own deck ready!"

"I never said I would be one who was dueling you," said Remi. "Your opponent is coming right out…"

A door behind him opened. A young teenage girl walked out; she had long flowing blonde hair, and was wearing bright green oriental armor; a long katana sword was slung to her back.

Yugi gaped in horror.

"Jade?!" he gasped.

"What's the matter, Yugi?" said Remi. "Don't you have anything to say to an old friend?"


	9. Spirit of the Samurai

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**Chapter Eight**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Spirit of the Samurai**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi looked at the man who called himself the Heir of Marik, who was now lounging on a bench with his old friend from the Duelist Labyrinth standing by his side, the only thing he could feel was hate. His three friends behind him were too scared to speak up, but they felt nothing but contempt for the demon in front of them.

"Remi!" said Yugi. "What have you done to Jade?! I demand to know!"

"What have I done?" said Remi. "Turned her into my complete, obedient slave, more than willing to perform my every whim. I'll show you… Jade, my back aches… massage my shoulders, won't you?"

"Yes, milord," she said. As he sat up, Jade cracked her knuckles and rubbed his shoulders and neck.

"Ah, that's it," said Remi. "Lower, please…"

Yugi sneered.

"What, you want details?" said Remi. "This was actually quite a difficult undertaking. But once you hear the pains I went through to bring this master duelist under my sway, perhaps you'll respect my true power.

"It all began with an invitation to her dojo, requesting that they send a representative for the North American Intercontinental Martial Arts Championship, to be held in New York. I knew the head sensei would choose his prize student, and a Samurai is always obedient to her liege. Once she was in New York, I used careful persuasion to delay the Championship until I had summoned my Castle, and New York had become the City of Souls.

"As you did, Jade awoke to find an empty city with evil in the air. She quickly donned her armor and weapons, seeking whoever was responsible. But she would soon discover that while she was hunting me, my forces were hunting _her._

"That's enough, Jade, I feel a lot better… go wait by the station." Jade walked over to the dueling station, taking out her deck of cards in the process.

"Soon," continued Remi, "she was ambushed by a team of my best Hunters. She quickly fought them off… I lost some good men in the struggle. But that team was only the bait for the real strike force. I had sent the greatest of the Rare Hunters, better than any that the original Marik ever employed, a team of superhuman warriors whom I call the Dark Four."

Yugi's eyes narrowed.

"Thought that would get your attention," continued Remi. "Should by some chance you survive this contest – which I doubt – you might eventually meet them. The previous record for one target lasting against the Dark Four is three minutes, eleven seconds. Jade managed to beat that record… by twenty-seven seconds. But after that, she fell. Luckily for her, I had ordered them only to capture her… if I had ordered them to kill, she wouldn't have survived.

"I wanted to meet her before using any kind of… 'persuasion', so I had her brought to my Castle in chains. I told her I intended to destroy you, and she was defiant. She said that you couldn't be defeated. When I identified myself as Marik's Heir, she called me names that I didn't even think the Samurai were _allowed_ to say! Who knew? I believe she said something about some horrible thing Marik did to her mother once… I don't know… He did a LOT of horrible things.

"She wanted no part of it, but she wouldn't have a choice. One wave of my Millennium Rod, and I now dominated her mind. She serves me quite willingly now… and I command her to duel you!"

"I refuse!" said Yugi.

Remi chuckled.

"You are forgetting something, Yugi," he said. "I now command the will of a powerful Samurai warrior. Should you refuse to duel, I will first order her to stab you in the gut with her wakisashi…"

Jade drew her long dagger from her side.

"Then," continued Remi, "as you slowly bleed to death, I will make you watch as I order her to slay your three disciples, and then finally stand over you as she cuts her own throat, just before the last of your life blood drains away. And she WILL do it, I assure you.

"You have two minutes to decide…"

"Think the doors are locked?" said Clive to Peter.

"I'd count on it," he responded.

Yugi went into his mind.

"Spirit," he said. "Can't we do anything? Can't we do anything to free Jade from this spell?"

"We could work on it," said the Spirit. "But I'm afraid Remi is deadly serious. We have no choice but to duel until we find a way to break his grip. Perhaps an option will present itself to us… if I can find it…"

Yugi came back to awareness.

"Fine," he said. "I guess I have no choice."

He mounted the dueling station, and so did Jade.

"Yugi," said Jade. "Remember when you defeated me in the Labyrinth finals? You won't be so lucky this time…"

"Jade," said Yugi. "We aren't foes! Look inside yourself! Think about what you are doing!"

"I am not being told to think," said Jade. "I do whatever the Heir desires… and he desires that I defeat you! So prepare…"

"Yes, prepare," said Remi. He picked up his guitar. "And why don't I inspire you with a little tune inspired by the great Billy Joel…

He strummed the strings of his guitar… and then started to play a rousing song:

_Oh, come out Valentine, don't let me wait,_

_You Samurai girls start much too late, aw,_

_But sooner or later it comes down to fate_

_I might as well be the one…_

_Well they showed you a statue, and told you to pray,_

_They built you a dojo and locked you away, aw,_

_But they never told you the price that you pay,_

_For things that you might have done…_

_Well only the good die young… _

_That's what I said…_

_Only the good die young, only the good die young._

_You might'a heard I run with a dangerous crowd_

_We ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud_

_We might be laughing a bit too loud, aw,_

_But that's how the duels are won...._

_So come on Valentine, show me a sign,_

_Send up a signal, I'll throw you the line,_

_The plate-mail armor you're hiding behind_

_Never lets in any sun…_

_Darlin' only the good die young, _

_Whoa, take it from me…_

_I tell you only the good die young, only the good die young…_

_You got your katana blade, and your armor at your graduation…_

_You had a heart of gold, mmm, following bushido…_

_Well, Valentine, they didn't give you quite enough information…_

_No, you didn't count on me… when you were using the wakisashi…_

_Oh whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa… _

_They say there's a heaven for those who will wait,_

_And some say it's better, but I say it ain't,_

_I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints,_

_The sinners are much more fun…_

_You know that only the good die young…_

_I'm telling you true…_

_I tell you only the good die young, only the good die young_

_Said your sensei told you all that I could give you was a reputation, aw,_

_No he never cared for me, but did he ever say a prayer for me?_

_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa… _

_Come out, come out, come out, Valentine don't hesitate,_

_You Samurai girls start much too late,_

_You know that sooner or later it comes down to fate,_

_I might as well be the one…_

_You know that only the good die young…_

As Remi played the last cord, the room fell into silence. Yugi looked at him in anger.

"That was possibly the _worst_ satire I have _ever_ heard," he said. "Billy Joel is rolling over in his grave!"

"You used to like my music," said Remi. "What changed?"

Everyone was silent.

"Humph," said Remi, reaching into his pocket. "Tough crowd…"

He pulled out a remote and pressed a button. Suddenly, two metal shackles reached out of the bottom of the dueling station and seized Yugi by the legs!

"Here's the deal, Yug'," said Remi. "If you lose this duel, then thirty seconds later, you'll be shocked by an electric charge of about ten million volts, give or take. That's about as much juice as an old electric chair packs!"

"WHAT?!" screamed Mary.

"And, in the interests of fairness," continued Remi, "the same thing will happen to Jade should she lose! But I'm figuring that your pathetic concern for her is so much that you won't _let_ her lose, even if that means dying yourself!

"So let's duel. The first move is yours…"

"This is insane!" said Mary. "Yugi can't duel Jade this way!"

"You're telling me…" said Clive. "No matter what happens, even if he wins, he loses! And all we can do is watch…"

Maybe… thought Mary. Maybe not…

Her eyes fell to a door. Then she looked at the dueling station… then the door again…

Well, thought Remi. This will be a fun experience. I'm counting on Yugi to lose, but even if by some chance he has the gumption to win, I'll still come out on top. The Siphon can gain just as much energy from the essence to the noble soul of a Samurai as it can from Yugi's heroic spirit! It's a win-win situation for me!

"Okay," said Yugi. "I'll first lay one card facedown. And I'll summon the Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode."

He set the cards down, and the Guardian appeared, brandishing his sword. (1,400/1,200)

Hmmm, thought Remi.

I have a pretty good idea what that facedown card is… and this is an excellent chance to test Yugi… see what he's made of…

Jade prepared to take a card from her hand.

"Uh, not that one, Jade," said Remi. "Second card from the left… that one will do the job."

"Yes, milord," she said. She chose another card.

"I summon the Beautiful Headhuntress in Attack Mode!" said Jade.

She put the card down, and the lovely girl in the kimono carrying an executioner's cleaver appeared. (1,600/800)

"Attack!" she yelled. "Decapitating blade attack!"

The Headhuntress rushed forward.

"Activate Trap!" said Yugi.

The Kunai with Chain appeared in the Celtic Guardian's hand. He hurled it, and it wrapped around the Beautiful Headhuntress. She screamed and dropped her cleaver. The Guardian's Attack score rose to 1,900.

"Well, I didn't tell you to attack with her," said Remi. "Geeze!"

"Ugh," said Yugi. "Counter-attack! Silver blade slash!"

The Guardian brought his sword down, and the Beautiful Headhuntress was vanquished. Jade's Life Points dropped to 1,700.

"Can it be?" said Remi. "It's your turn now Yugi… seems like you have this duel won already!"

That beast, thought Yugi. Jade would never have made a horrible mistake like that without that order he gave her. Now she's totally defenseless! Ordinarily, a duelist could win right now with a Direct Attack… but if I do, Jade will die!

He looked at Remi and bowed his head. "I pass," he said. "It's your move Jade."

Remi laughed a cruel laugh.

"Just as I thought, Yugi-boy!" he said. "You'll never win this duel, because you don't want to! You care more for Jade than you do about yourself! Too bad she doesn't share that sentiment! Face it, this is the last duel you'll ever play!

"You know what to do, Valentine…"

"I summon the Robo-Ronin, in Attack Mode!" she said, putting a card down.

The mechanical samurai appeared, waving his blazing katana. (2,000/1,000)

"Attack the Celtic Guardian!" she shouted. "Energy blade attack!"

The robot charged, slicing the Celtic Guardian apart. Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,900.

Yugi drew.

Not much I can do, he said. There must be some way I can get through to Jade… but until I find that way…

"Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress, in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the small blue dragon materialized. (1,400/1,200)

"Running scared of me, huh?" said Jade. "Robo-Ronin, attack!"

The Ronin slashed with his sword, and the Winged Dragon was no more.

"Come now," said Jade. "Give me something good!"

Yugi drew. He looked at the card.

Hey, he thought.

I almost forgot I had this guy in my deck. I never really ever considered using him, except as a throwaway…

Could it work? Could this help me get into Jade's head, maybe with a little persuasion?

One way to find out…

"Here's my move, Jade," said Yugi. "I play Shining Friendship, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down. A cute, little, green Fairy shaped like a ball with wings, a halo, and a huge smile appeared on his side of the grid. It squeaked. (1,300/1,100)

Yugi's three friends opened their mouths agape.

"What the fuck is _THAT?!!_" said Clive.

"Yugi, if this is your idea of a joke…" said Peter.

"Shush!" said Mary. "I think I know what Yugi is doing."

"Jade," said Yugi. "Before I end my turn, take a good look at this Monster. It doesn't look formidable, and its Attack and Defense power are both weak.

"But the power it _does_ have it gains from its friendship with others… just like the power I once received from you.

"You do remember my duel with Anastasia, don't you? She was nearly unstoppable, and I was completely outmatched. I would have lost, if you and the others had not shared a bond with me… a bond of friendship.

"You used that bond to reach out and aid me… in fact, if I remember correctly, you personally volunteered to take the brunt of the agony that her Pain-Splitter caused, so that I wouldn't have to suffer. If not for you, I'd have been killed, and you and the others would have been under Anastasia's thumb forever.

"I do not know how I can make it more clear. We aren't enemies, and Remi's magic can't change that.

"I'll ask you again to try to fight it, Jade. You must! Either break his grasp, or use your soulless Machine to strike down Shining Friendship. I can't stop you.

"My turn is over…"

"That was quite touching, Yugi," said Remi. "It was so touching that I almost felt the need to vomit! But it was all in vain… your little Fairy and pep talk aren't enough to break my spell! Jade… destroy that pathetic excuse for a Monster."

There was a long silence.

"I said destroy it!" he repeated. "Didn't you hear me?!"

Suddenly something struck him. He looked at his Rod. And then he looked at Jade. Tears were running down her cheeks.

"No…" she whispered. "No… I can't…"

What?! thought Remi. She's trying to resist the Rod's effects! That's impossible! She can't!

Can she?

Well, she won't succeed! I didn't use maximum power the first time… all I have to do is up the juice, and all resistance will vanish!

He pointed the Rod, and it glowed bright. Jade stiffened, and her serious expression returned.

"Robo-Ronin," she commanded. "Attack Shining Friendship!"

Yugi gasped as the Machine brought its sword down, obliterating the Fairy. Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,100.

"NOOO!!!" screamed Mary.

She turned to Remi with a look of hate.

"You monster!" she screamed. "You bastard!! I'll never forgive you for this!! May you burn in Hell!!"

"Hell?" said Remi. "Why my dear Mary, I've _been_ there. It isn't as bad as most people say, actually…"

Mary burst into tears. She ran, running across the room and through the doorway marked "STAIRS."

Remi laughed again. "Seems your girlfriend couldn't watch you die, Yugi," he said. "But don't worry, I promise you that after you're dead, she will soon be joining you!"

"Don't you ever shut up?" said Yugi.

It isn't like Mary to lose control like that, he thought. She was the one who stood up to Panik! But I can't very well go after her…

"Summoned Skull in Attack Mode," he said, placing the card down. His mighty Fiend erupted onto the field. (2,500/1,200)

Have to keep playing until I find some other way to save Jade, he thought. But I can't save her if I'm dead!

"Lightning strike attack!" he commanded. The demon blasted forth its lightning bolts, blowing the Robo-Ronin away. Jade's score fell to 1,300.

"One of us should go get Mary," said Clive.

"No," whispered Peter.

"Huh," whispered Clive.

"While Yugi was making that speech, she said she had a plan… I think this may be part of it.

"Sorry Yugi," said Jade, "but I was hoping you'd send out that Skull. I summon Yamoto the Noble Samurai, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the Samurai in golden armor appeared. (2,200/2,000)

Her favorite Monster! thought Yugi.

"And as you know," said Jade, "he gains a 400 point attack bonus against Fiends! Yamoto, katana blade slash!"

Yamoto leapt up in the air and brought his blade down on the Skull, eradicating it in a burst of sparks. Yugi's Life Points fell further to 1,000.

Ironic, thought Yugi. Remi is far more fiend than the Summoned Skull is… and yet he's forcing Jade to use of Monster of Light and honor against me for his evil purposes.

But I will save you Jade… I'll free you from his spell even if it costs me my life!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Mary had taken the stairway down, and turned on the lights in the gym's basement.

Guess working with the drama club paid off, she thought. Remi thinks I was running in fear and despair… but I was really looking for a way out of this twisted trap.

I saw that the dueling station had thick, metal wires that went from near Yugi's feet and into the floor. Most holographic dueling stations are fed images by satellites; I'm guessing the magic from Remi's castle is powering the illusions. As for the stations themselves, they have internal rechargeable batteries that power the, motors. This station wouldn't need to be connected to an outside power source for the holograms or its other functions, but Remi's little addition of a ten million volt deathtrap would need a separate generator, and judging by those wires, it's housed here in the basement.

The question is, where? This place has nothing but torn mats, broken equipment and old newspapers…

She looked under the mats, pushed the equipment away, and searched for switches.

Nothing.

Damn, she thought. I don't have much time…

It frustration, she hit the wall, and was surprised when the brick she struck was pushed in.

With a grinding noise, part of the wall opened up.

Well, she thought, looking into the small secret room, I've found it.

Now what the Hell am I supposed to DO with it?!!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back at the duel, Yugi was still clueless as to how he could prevail without killing Jade. He drew.

"I summon the Millennium Golem in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

The huge, blocky golem appeared with the numbers (2,000/2,200)

"And that will do it for me."

Jade drew.

"Ah," she said. "Now I have you Yugi. "I summon the Temple of Tao, in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and a huge statute depicting an oriental monk praying rose over her side of the field. (0/2,500)

"The Temple of Tao?" said Yugi. "What does that do?"

"A card I gave her before coming here," said Remi. "A very powerful one. First, it raises the Attack power of any Light Monster by 500 points. As you can see, her Samurai is now 2,700 points strong!"

Yugi grimaced.

"And also," said Remi, "the Temple will give her 400 additional Life Points at the start of each of her Standby Phases for _each_ Light Monster she has on the field at the time!

"Quite a card, isn't it?"

"Your Hunters _stole_ that card!" said Yugi. "You've not only enslaved Jade, you've tainted her deck!!

"The deck is part of a duelist's soul, Remi! And now you've polluted hers! I warn you, if she ever breaks free of your grasp, she won't be very happy with you…"

"Oh, I'm not too concerned about that," said Remi. "Jade, finish your move dear."

"Yamoto, attack the Millennium Golem!" she shouted.

Yamoto charged forward, smashing the golem to rubble.

"I'll finish by playing one card facedown," she said.

"Your move…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mary was standing face to face with a huge, black machine that was humming quietly. The words "Danger! High Voltage!" were printed on the front.

How do I stop this thing?! thought Mary. It must have an input code or a password or a…

Wait…

Her eyes fell on a large throw-switch on the upper left. It was in the up position, on a red field, and could be switched down to a blue field.

Dumbfounded, Mary grabbed the switch and threw it down.

The machine stopped humming.

I can't believe it! thought Mary. An on/off switch? But of course… this thing was secret… it was pure luck that I found it. Remi never expected that anyone would even open the secret door…

She started to run up the stairs.

I have to tell Yugi! she thought.

She stopped.

But how do I tell him… without Remi knowing?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I play one card facedown," said Yugi. "And I summon the Dark Magician, in Attack Mode."

He put the cards down, and his favorite Monster appeared. (2,500/2,100)

"Now," said Yugi. "I use the Magic card Magic Formula!"

He placed the card down, and a large book appeared before the Dark Magician. He leafed though it, and his Attack power was raised to 3,000!

Now, thought Yugi, to take out that statue. This will help me out, but won't cost Jade any Life Points.

"Dark Magician," he said, "attack the Temple with dark magic attack!"

The Magician's staff started to glow…

"Sorry Yugi," said Jade.

She flipped up her facedown card, and a circle of light snared the Dark Magician!

"The Spellbinding Circle!" said Yugi.

"One of your favorite Traps," said Jade. "It works for you… why not for me?"

The Dark Magician's Attack power fell to 2,300.

"Now, it's my turn," she said.

The Temple glowed, and her Life Points went up to 1,700.

"Maybe you'll remember the lady I'm about to summon…" she said. "Yamoto's eager young pupil, Sashia the Samurai Squire, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a young female warrior holding a katana and wearing a quiver of arrows appeared. (1,700/1,500)

"As you recall," said Jade, "she gains a bonus 300 Attack points from being on the field with her mentor, and an additional 500 from the Temple!"

Sashia's Attack went all the way up to 2,500!

"Now," said Jade. "Yamoto will slay your precious Dark Magician, and then his pupil will finish you off in one mighty blow! Yamoto, attack the Dark Magician!"

Yamoto charged.

Yugi reached for his facedown card and the Trap activated. Three blue-robed priests sprang up to block Yamoto's advance.

"Waboku, nice," said Jade. "But that Trap only guards you from ONE attack. Sashia, finish him off!"

Sashia brandished her sword, and attacked the Dark Magician, cutting him down. Yugi's Life Points fell to 800.

"Well, your favorite Monster is gone," said Jade. "And next round, YOU'LL be gone."

Then Mary appeared at the door behind Jade.

Good, she thought. Remi has his back to me…

During school this year, Yugi told me he was torn between choosing the sign language class and creative writing. I can only pray he took the former, because this is our only chance…

As Yugi drew, he looked up. Mary was waving to him. He started to speak, but she put her finger to her lips.

What the…? thought Yugi.

Mary started to sign.

She's… thought Yugi, she's speaking in sign language! Think I can make it out…

Yu…gi, he read. I shut… off his e-lec-tric gen-or-a-tor. It is safe… to win… the… game.

He looked at her. He nodded, and she smiled.

Inside his head, he spoke to his partner.

"Spirit, did you get that?" he said.

"Every word," said the Spirit. "And I sense that she's nearly certain that she's right. But how can we be sure of it?"

"We can only pray that Mary knows what she's talking about," said Yugi.

He looked at the card he just drew.

"And I might have another idea as well."

Coming back to reality he put a card down.

"I play the magic of Brain Control!" he said.

The fiendish brain appeared on the field.

"With this, I can seize control of one opposing Monster for one round," he said. "And I chose Yamoto!"

A wave of energy emitted from the brain, and Yamoto was spellbound. Sashia drew back.

Jade smiled.

"Nice try Yugi," she said. "But even with your Brain Control, Yamoto won't attack his student. It's a matter of honor. No amount of magic can make him strike down his pupil."

"I realize how strong the Samurai's sense of honor is, Jade," said Yugi. "Why don't you think about that for a minute?"

Jade paused. A look came over her face.

"Besides," said Yugi. "I have different plans for Yamato. I summon the Catapult Turtle, in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and the huge turtle with a launch pad on his back appeared. (1,000/2,000)

"This Monster has the ability to break down walls and barriers," said Yugi, "using another Monster as ammunition. And I'm using Yamoto to do it!"

Yamoto mounted the Turtle's back. He held his sword up high.

The Turtle took aim at the Temple of Tao… Remi gasped…

"Catapult Turtle," shouted Yugi. "Catapult launch Yamoto the Noble Samurai! FIRE IN THE HOLE!!"

The Turtle's rocket's ignited. Yamoto was sent flying, sword-first. Sashia screamed as he slammed into the Temple, smashing it to bits. Rubble rained down upon the Samurai Squire!

"And I've done more than destroy the Temple," said Yugi. "Because I sacrificed Yamoto, half of his Attack Points are deducted from your Life Points."

Jade's score dropped all the way to 350.

"But there's more," said Yugi. "Since you've lost both Yamoto and the Temple, Sashia's Attack score returns to its original level."

Sashia's Attack fell to 1,700.

"But just think of how she must feel, Jade!" continued Yugi. "She just lost her mentor and her father-figure. She must be in a world of hurt right now…

"Can you imagine how I would feel if I lost you? You're no hologram, Jade, you are a living thing and a friend whom I respect a great deal. And I know that deep down you feel the same for me. If I should be killed in this duel, and you ever recover from what has happened to you, you might not forgive yourself for what you have done."

"Save your breath, Yugi!" said Remi, who was now angry. "That move took a lot of guts, but Jade will be my slave forever! And you will lose!! Jade! Turn that Turtle into soup!!"

There was a pause.

What? thought Remi looking up. No!

Now Jade was truly crying. "Can't…" she said. "I can't… Yugi…"

Inconceivable… thought Remi. Unfathomable… Impossible!! She _can't_ resist it at this level!!

But to Remi's unbelieving eyes, she was.

That does it, thought Remi. Let's see how well you resist, when I use maximum power!

His Rod started to glow with an unholy nimbus that filled the whole room. Thunder struck outside, and the darkness over the city grew darker yet!

Flames formed in Jade's eyes. "Sashia, destroy the Catapult Turtle!" she screamed.

Sashia brought her sword down on the Turtle, and it exploded. Yugi's Life Points fell to 100.

"Yugi," said the Spirit inside him. "There is only one chance left to save Jade. We must pray that Mary was correct in what she said, and that Remi continues to be as sadistic as he has been."

"I understand," said Yugi.

Not even bothering to draw, Yugi placed down a card.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted.

The Dark Magician reappeared, poised to attack. The numbers 2,500 over 2,100 reappeared. He aimed his staff at Sashia.

"Yugi, no!!" shouted Clive.

"What?" said Remi. "You're actually going to…"

"DARK…MAGIC…ATTACK!!!" shouted Yugi.

The Dark Magician fired, blowing Sashia away. Jade's Life Points fell to zero.

Remi chuckled… and then he burst out laughing.

"I didn't think you would actually do it Yugi!" he said. "I guess this story won't have a happy ending after all!!

"Well, Jade has about twenty seconds left to live, so I think I'll release her from my spell, just so you can see the fear in her eyes!!

He gestured with his Rod. Jade shook her head, and she looked up.

"Wha…?" she said. "Yugi!!"

"Stand firm Jade…" said Yugi.

The seconds ticked away and seemed like hours.

Please don't let Mary be wrong… thought Yugi.

Remi grinned as he looked at Jade…

His grin vanished.

"C'mon," he said, tapping his foot.

Thirty seconds had passed. Then a minute went by.

"WHAT THE…?!" said Remi.

"Aw," said Mary. Remi turned to her in surprise. "You think I might have _done_ something while you _thought_ I was cowering with fear in that staircase?"

"The generator…" said Remi.

Yugi's Millennium Puzzle started to blaze like a fire. He turned to Remi, and leapt down from the station, his shackles having broken.

A golden eye appeared on his forehead.

"What…" said Remi. "You… that eye…"

"This is seen only by those who trespass on the souls of me and my friends, Heir of Marik!" said Yugi, in a much stronger voice. "And trespass you did! And by defeating Jade without killing her, I have defeated YOU!"

"Stay back!" said Remi in fear.

"I could cast your foul body and soul into oblivion for what you have done…" said Yugi.

He smiled.

"But I'll leave it to someone else to punish you…"

Remi looked up. Jade had slipped free from her shackles too… she was now leveling her sword at him, with a look of fury in her eyes!

"You…" she said. "You… demon! My honor is my life… and you would attempt to force me to murder one of my closest friends… That is the most dishonorable crime the Samurai can commit!"

"No!" said Remi.

"I owe Yugi more than you can ever imagine," said Jade, advancing. "I will cauterize the wound to my honor with your blood!"

She swung her sword, shredding Remi's shirt, cutting his guitar strap, and leaving a gash across his chest. He screamed.

He raised his Rod.

"Stay back! I command you!" he screamed.

"It won't work this time," said Yugi. "You've lost this battle, and thus the power of my Millennium Puzzle will protect ALL of us from your Rod!"

Remi got up. He made a dash for the door.

Peter and Clive moved to block his escape.

"Where do ya think _you're_ going?" said Clive.

Remi looked behind him. Jade and Yugi were closing in.

I can't summon the Rainbow Bridge indoors! he thought.

In his mind, the cards he had seen in Shadi's game flashed: the Magic Formula card… A Hero Emerges… Gamble… Exile of the Wicked!

It was coming true!

He ran from them, as Jade lunged. He screamed. He ran behind the dueling station.

"You can't run forever," said Jade. "Trust me, even if you could dodge all my blows, which you couldn't, you would tire long before I would…"

Remi looked around.

The stairs! he thought. They lead to the roof! My only chance…

He ran, and burst through the door. Yugi and Jade ran after him.

"He went up," said Jade.

"Good," said Yugi. "He's trapped."

Remi ran up the stairs, rounding the second and third floors. He clutched his stomach. A cramp was forming.

"Maybe I shouldn't have… eaten that grinder," he gasped. "Or that leftover lasagna… or the meatloaf… or that box of donuts… no, I _definitely_ shouldn't have eaten the donuts…"

They're right behind me, he thought, starting to panic.

He staggered up the stairs, past the third floor, and opened the door to the roof.

He dug the colored gem out of his pocket… but his sweat-covered hands dropped it!

Jade and Yugi walked onto the roof.

"Choose a body part, Yugi," said Jade.

"I'm partial to the legs, myself," responded Yugi.

Remi picked up the stone.

"Give it up, Remi," said Jade. "You have nowhere to go but down…"

"On the contrary…" said Remi, lifting up the stone.

He chanted:

_Shining rainbow, bridge of light,_

_Take me to the realm of night!_

The Rainbow Bridge erupted from his feet, leading to the Castle of Dark Illusions. Yugi and Jade drew back.

"Another time, Yugi, I promise you that!!" he shouted. He stepped on the rainbow and vanished.

Yugi and Jade made a dash for the bridge, but it vanished.

Mary, Clive, and Peter came up the stairs.

"Yugi?" said Mary. "Where's…"

"He got away," said Yugi. "But maybe we can follow him this time… what did he say?"

He thought for a minute.

"Shining rainbow, bridge of light," he said. "Take me to the realm of night."

Nothing.

"Damn," said Yugi. "There must be more to it than just the words."

"Well," said Clive. "At least Mary was able to shut off his trap."

"Yes," said Yugi. "We've won a major victory this day, people. Remi will have to watch his back in the future. Isn't that right, Jade?

"Jade?"

"Um, Yugi?" said Mary. She pointed.

Jade was now in the center of the rooftop. She was kneeling in a prayer position, and now she was sobbing more than ever.

"Jade?" said Yugi. "We won. What's wrong?"

"Everything," she said softly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On a rooftop across the street from them, eyes were watching.

Cassie Black – or rather, a fiend in her body – was watching their moves with great interest.

"They are triumphant," she said. "The Heir has retreated to his Castle with his cowardly tail between his legs, and Yugi may have gained a new ally…

"It is time… I must strike while he recovers…"

Her stomach growled.

"Hmmm, hungry," she said. "I keep forgetting what it's like to wear another's body. Ah well, it's late anyway."

She looked down upon the streets.

"Ah, a bakery!" she said. "Well, I guess I'll grab a snack… tomorrow Yugi and his friends will meet the ultimate duel…"

She fingered her Millennium Ring.

"…and they'll find it more lethal than any deathtrap the Heir can devise…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TEMPLE OF TAO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description: **When you control this face-up card, all LIGHT Monsters you control except this one gain 500 Attack Points. During your Standby Phase, gain 400 Life Points for each LIGHT Monster you control.


	10. Yami’s Plea

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Nine**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Yami's Plea**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the entrance hall of the Castle of Dark Illusions, the young man who called himself the Heir of Marik walked in. He clutched his bleeding wound under his torn shirt. Humiliation, anger, and hate raged through his mind. He clutched his Rod, and wanted to do nothing more right now than cave somebody's skull in with it.

A woman in a white robe stood waiting for him.

"Master, you've been gone a long time," she said. "What have you been… Master! What happened to you?!"

He looked at her. His hand tightened around the Rod…

No, he thought. I'm not _that_ cruel. I'll save it for the one who deserves it…

"Long story, Madelyn," he growled. "I'll be in my bedchamber. Bring me a bottle of antiseptic, some bandages, and a quart of butterscotch mint ice cream."

"Yes master, I will…" she started. "_A quart?!_"

"**I need some comfort food, okay?!!"** he shouted.

"Yes master," she said, shivering. "Right away. Anything else?"

"Find me a new guitar," said Remi. "And inform Des Fist that I'll need him for a matter of urgent importance at ten AM tomorrow sharp."

He exited the chamber and slammed the door.

Fear came over the woman's face.

She went to an intercom and punched in some buttons.

"Yes?" a voice said.

"The master requests antiseptic ointment, bandages, and a full quart of butterscotch mint ice cream to be delivered to his bedchamber," she said, "and do hurry… he is not in a good mood. And tell somebody to find another guitar for him… he seems to have lost his."

"Right on it," said the voice.

She punched in another number. Her hand shook.

"Yes?" said another voice.

"C…c… connect me with… Des Fist…" she stammered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a dark room, the dark form of Cassie Black stood.

She raised in her hand a long knife.

"Now I have you," she said. "I have you all!"

She laughed.

She turned to a table, where several beautiful cakes and pastries were displayed. The Evil Spirit of the Ring eyed the gorgeous confectioneries.

"Yesss," she said. "Triple-layer mocha-cappuccino crumb cake… Italian chocolate tiramisu… carrot bundt cake with cream cheese frosting…"

Her eyes turned and she gasped.

"Ah! And German Black Forest cake!"

She lowered he knife into the pastry.

"Modern day humans are such fools," she said, "but they make such scrumptious desserts… and such other great things too! Maybe when I have Yugi's Puzzle and the Heir's Rod, I'll leave this city and try out one of those 'pizzas' I've heard so much about!

"Still, the sweetest taste of all will be the taste of victory when I finally bring Muto's offspring to his knees… I will show him that truly, revenge is a dish best served cold…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

While Cassie was stuffing herself, a more somber scene was happening on the roof of the Hercules Iron Man Gym. Ever since Remi's escape, Jade was kneeling down, crying as if it was the end of the world.

Yugi went up to her. The Spirit was still merged with him.

"Jade?" said Yugi. "Are you upset because he got away? It doesn't matter… we tried our best. And he won't be so lucky next time…"

"It isn't that, Yugi," said Jade. "It's me. It's what I have done."

"What?" said Yugi.

"I meant what I said Yugi," said Jade. "I owe you more than I ever could repay in a thousand lifetimes. You are a greater ally to me than the man who taught me the Code of the Samurai… the code of honor known as _bushido._ And yet I tried to kill you… a vile act of betrayal. That is the most dishonorable crime against bushido that a Samurai can commit…"

"Jade, it wasn't your fault," said Yugi. "You were under Remi's spell."

"If I was worthy of the title of Samurai, his foul magic would never have ensnared me," said Jade. "But I was weak… and now…"

She took her sword out of her sheath and looked at it.

"The Daisho," she said. "The ancestral weapon of the Samurai… the symbol of their might… I am no longer worthy of holding it!"

Quickly, Jade, undid the straps that held her armor in place. She tossed her green plate mail to the other side of the roof, with almost no regard for it.

"Jade, your armor!" said Yugi.

She didn't respond. Carefully, she placed her wakisashi by her right side, and her katana by her left.

"Yugi," she said softy. "Come close to me. I need you now…"

Alarm went off in Yugi's eyes.

All this time, Yugi's three friends were watching.

"NO!!" said Mary. "I know what she's doing! Jade is going to perform _seppuku_!"

"Seppu-what?" said Peter.

"Ritual suicide!" said Mary. "Jade thinks she's lost her honor because she tried to kill Yugi… and when the Samurai is disgraced, the only way out is to kill herself!"

"What?!" said Clive. "No! We can't let her!"

"How will we stop her?" said Peter. "She'll just knock us out if we try to restrain her!"

"There's only one person who can possibly talk her out of it," said Mary. "And he's standing right beside her…"

Indeed.

"Jade, don't!" said Yugi. "Please! It wasn't your fault! No one can escape the Rod's power! Please, I beg you! There must be another way!"

"There is no other way," said Jade. "It must be done; the Code demands it."

"Listen, Jade," said Yugi. "I know how seppuku works. There are two stages. In stage one, you first have to stab yourself in the gut with your wakisashi, and then in stage two you must have an ally cut your head off. Obviously you expect me to be that ally. Well I refuse to do it, do you hear me?!"

Jade paused.

"Yugi," she said. "I will complete stage one with or without your cooperation. If you refuse to help me, my death will be slow and agonizing.

"You are an honorable man, Yugi; I know you will not allow me to suffer."

Yugi was aghast. She's right! he thought. If she does this, I'll have no choice!

She moved her hair on the back of her head to the side, revealing her neck.

"I am begging you Yugi," she said, "do not let me down…"

She slowly reached for her wakisashi…

"Spirit of the Puzzle, hear me!" shouted Yugi inside his mind.

In the corridors of Yugi's mind, he and his dark spiritual partner stood face to face.

"Spirit," he said. "We must do something! We can't let Jade do this! Can't you do something?!"

"What can I do?" said the Spirit.

"I don't know…" said Yugi. "Make her sleep, make her muscles rigid, cloud her mind or something… you've done worse to other people!"

"I exist to punish the wicked, Yugi," said the Spirit. "Jade is an innocent in this manner, despite what she thinks. I want to stop her as much as you do, but I cannot inflict her with a Penalty Game when she has done no wrong."

"Isn't there _anything_ we can do?" said Yugi.

"Hmm," said the Spirit. "There is one idea that might work, but it will take a great deal of risk. Here's what I need for you to do… but I'll have to do most of this myself…"

All this happened within the span of a second. When Yugi came back to reality, Jade was about to press the blade to her abdomen… Yugi had to work fast.

"Jade, wait!" he said. "Before you do it, one final thing…"

"Please Yugi," she said. "I must do this…"

"Whether you do it now or five minutes from now makes little difference," said Yugi. "I will help you do it, I promise…"

"Really?" said Jade.

"But first, you must fulfill one, small, humble request for me…"

Jade looked at him. "What?" she said.

Yugi paused. Here goes, he thought.

"Wear this as you do it," he said.

And then he lowered the Millennium Puzzle around her neck!

Jade looked at it.

"Your Puzzle?" said Jade. "Why?"

"This is sure to be a painful ordeal," said Yugi, "and I can't very well hold your hand during it. This is the most cherished item I own. Wear it, and it will be like I'll be with you every step of the way, body and soul. Perhaps it will even help guide you into the next life."

Tears fell down Jade's cheeks again.

"Thank you, my friend," she said. "You are far more deserving of the title of Samurai than I am."

She slowly reached for her wakisashi again, as Yugi reverted to his normal form.

I've done all I can do, he thought. The Spirit is on his own now.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

And indeed, the Spirit was on his own. The instant Yugi had removed the Puzzle from around his own neck, he had torn himself from the corridors of his young host's mind. It was an agonizing experience, something he had not done since he had parted with Yugi's father.

And only seconds later, he had to perform an act that caused him even greater pain – the transfer into the corridors of a completely _different _ mind. That of Jade.

He knew the process would be risky. He knew that if his timing had been off by even a fraction of a second, he would have been thrown from the Astral Plane and into oblivion. But he had to take the chance… he would not allow an innocent soul to be lost when he could possibly stop it.

The pain was among the greatest he had ever experienced. Only the agony of Anastasia's Pain-Splitter rivaled it. But he managed to shake it off and get to his feet. He was in Jade's soul chambers now, and he had to work fast.

That was… hard, he thought. I don't belong here… I'm only allowed to enter the soul of the one who solves the Millennium Puzzle and his chosen heirs… but if anyone ever questions my intent… Yugi did give the Puzzle to Jade. So for this brief time, I can claim her as a temporary heir.

But technicalities aside, I can't merge my mind with hers as I can with Yugi. Maybe, however, on this deep and intimate level, she'll be more willing to listen to the voice of reason.

He looked around at his surroundings.

A strange place, he thought. Reminiscent of a Shinto temple… a place of worship where peace and tranquility is often found. And yet, a sense of damp sadness hangs over this place… obviously due to the feelings of guilt Jade now feels.

I must find the place where her soul lies, and fast… I sense I have only seconds before she drives her blade into herself. But I think I know where to find her…

His eyes moved, and a dark doorway appeared.

The darkest part of the spirit, he thought, where doubt, fear, and self-depredation lie…

He went to the doorway.

Ah! he thought.

Jade's form was there all right. She was kneeling upon the floor of the dark, empty room, her eyes closed, and as in the real world, she was holding her dagger, ready to end her life.

But then her eyes opened. She turned, and saw her visitor.

"Who… who are you?" she said.

The Spirit paused. Jade could not see him as Yugi did. He could not see himself right now, and no mirrors were present. Was Jade seeing him in his true form? The form who's looks even he had forgotten?

Much as he wanted to know, he could not worry about that now.

"I'm a friend, Jade," he said. "Now please put your weapon down. I can tell you honestly, what you are doing is wrong."

Jade's hand quivered. "I would think I was dreaming," she said, "if I didn't know I was wide awake. Please, who are you? I must know! Did somebody send you? Some higher power?"

"Perhaps," said the Spirit. "If you question whether I am a guardian angel or a messenger from beyond, well, sometimes even I wonder about that. But I do know many things about mortal beings and the emotions and drives they feel… I can assure you that the ones you feel now are misplaced.

"Please Jade, put it down and let me talk to you, if only for a few minutes."

"I don't know who you are," said Jade. "But something about you tells me that I can trust you…"

She put the dagger down.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back in the material world, Yugi was watching. Jade put the dagger down, and her tears vanished. She looked like she was in deep thought.

I've never been this alone before, he thought, ever since I first merged with him during the duel with Blackjack Phil. But I think his plan may be working.

This is nerve wracking! I can't communicate with him now! I can only pray that this works…

"What's happening?" said Clive. "Why did Yugi give her the Puzzle?"

"Not sure," said Mary. "But she hasn't killed herself yet. Whatever Yugi is doing, let's just hope he keeps it up…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back in Jade's mind, the Spirit offered her his hand.

"Come," he said. "Come out of that closet and come into the light…"

She shivered. She took his hand, and she followed him into the larger room.

"Now Jade," he said. "You think you have lost your honor… even if that is so, which it likely isn't, seppuku is not the only way out. There may be another way."

"But how?" said Jade. "My honor has been stained by sin… it cannot be healed…"

"Oh, that is where you are wrong, Jade."

"Huh?" said Jade.

"Let me explain something to you," said the Spirit. "You are confusing sins and crimes. The two terms are different things entirely."

"How can that be?"

"Let me put it in the simplest terms I can," said the Spirit. "A 'crime' is an action. Something evil that a person does to harm others. As such, crimes exist in the past, and cannot be undone.

"The word 'sin' is often confused with 'crime', but in actuality, the two terms are completely different. Sins are actually the evil impulses that people develop that cause them to commit crimes.

"There are seven basic sins, seven impulses, from which all crimes originate… some call them the Seven Deadly Sins, but actually they are the seven _only_ sins. Pride, Lust, Greed, Envy, Sloth, Anger, and Gluttony. While crimes cannot be undone, a sinner can repent, and those evil impulses can be purged from his soul, leading him to redemption.

"Now Jade, your crime was siding with Remi and attempting to kill Yugi… but tell me, which of the seven sinful influences drove you to do it?"

Jade thought for a moment. She was speechless.

"There was none, was there?" said the Spirit. "Remi was completely in control of you! You are free of sin, Jade… you are an innocent! Remi is the only one who possesses sin in this case."

"Yes," said Jade. "But the crime still exists…"

"And like I said," said the Spirit, "that can never be undone, for it was an action; actions exist in the past. But you already repent your crime, and Yugi is quite willing to forgive. So maybe there is another way…"

"Perhaps…" said Jade. "Perhaps there is…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the material world, Jade opened her eyes and got up.

"Yugi?" she said.

"Yes, Jade?" said Yugi.

"Something has happened…" she said. "I have been given… a sign…"

"Oh?" said Yugi, trying to look surprised.

"I'll make you a deal…" she said.

"I'm all ears," said Yugi.

"I will not perform the ceremony now," she said. "I will meditate tonight, and request a more tangible sign from the ancient spirits of the Samurai. If there is another way, they will show me the path.

"But Yugi, you must promise me one thing: If they do not respond, I must do my duty, and you must help me do it. If no other way exists, you must aid me in the ceremony of seppuku."

"I promise Jade," said Yugi. "We'll sleep here tonight. And I wish you luck."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They walked down the stairs where the dueling station was. Clive and Peter carried Jade's armor, while Mary held her katana. Jade would not relinquish the wakisashi.

"Couldn't we have taken two trips?!" said Clive. "This stuff weighs a ton!"

"You got lucky," said Mary, looking at the sword. "I'm scared of this thing!"

Jade looked down and saw Remi's guitar.

She brought her foot down on it, smashing it in half.

"And to think I used to _like_ Billy Joel," she said.

She went up to the dueling station and took her deck of cards.

"Before I begin, there is one thing to do," she said.

She searched through the deck and found the Temple of Tao card. She sighed.

"The image of the wise and respected Lao Tzu, the beloved founder of Taoism," she said. "And an ultra-rare Monster Card that any duelist would cherish. And yet, this once-noble card has wrought nothing but evil… despite its image, it is a tainted, wicked thing. I have no choice…"

With one stroke, she tore the card apart.

"I'm proud of you Jade," said Yugi. "That took a lot of willpower to do."

Jade went to the back room and got a large satchel. She threw it on the floor.

"There's food in there," she said. "You four help yourself. Do not disturb me until morning when I am ready. And Yugi… I am sorry."

Jade went to the center of the floor and sat in the lotus position. She went stiff.

Yugi smiled. She didn't even know that she was still wearing the Puzzle.

Jade's bag had cold cuts, cheese, bread, soda (warm, unfortunately), chips, and powdered donuts. The friends ate silently; at times they glanced over at Jade, but she was rigid as a statue.

As night fell, they curled up on the gym mats; Yugi found it hard to sleep, not having his partner inside him, but eventually he managed it.

And in Jade's mind, her soul was in deep thought.

The Spirit of the Puzzle maintained a constant vigil by her side.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next morning at 10:30 AM, Remi walked down the corridors to a special location in his Castle, his Rod in hand, and anger on his face.

A very special servant followed him.

He came to a set of doors marked "Research and Development." He pushed them open.

Inside, was a large, very sterile laboratory. A group of male and female researcher-types were all engrossed in various jobs. They froze when he entered.

The one closest to the door spoke up nervously.

"Master, you honor us with your presence," he stammered.

"Clam it, Clyde!" said Remi. He turned to the rest of them. "Which of you is the jerk who built the generator trap at the Hercules Iron Man Gym?!"

Silence fell upon the room.

"Okay," said Remi, crossing his arms. "One of you can tell _me_, or I'll chose one of you to tell _him_!"

A six-foot-seven, muscular man entered the room. He wore purple trousers, boots, and gloves, and no shirt. He wore a gold amulet with the Roman numeral for three printed on it.

The researchers gasped in fear.

"It was Waylan!" shouted a woman. "He built it!"

"Des Fist?" said Remi to the man behind him.

The muscular man closed in on one of the researchers – a bald man in his thirties – and grabbed him.

"Tattle-tale!" whispered one of the others to the woman.

"I'd rather be a tattle-tale than road kill!" she whispered back.

Des Fist dragged Waylan to Remi.

"Okay, Waylan," he said. "I want answers, and if you give them to me, you just might live to see daylight again."

"What?" he said in a panic. "Did you have some problems with the generator??"

"Problems?" said Remi.

He ripped his shirt off, and the scar Jade has left was in plain sight.

"Yeah, you might say that. You want to mind telling me how a sixteen-year-old girl managed to shut your generator down?!"

"That… that's impossible!" said Waylan. "It was hidden behind a secret door in the basement. I didn't even tell YOU how to open it!"

"How did you open it?!" said Remi.

"I pushed in a brick in the wall…" said Waylan. "But it looked exactly like the thousand other bricks down there!"

"No lock?" asked Remi.

"Well, you can't put a lock on a secret door!" said Waylan. Then it wouldn't be a secret! And you plainly said, 'secret door' to hide it!"

"I suppose," said Remi. "But if she were lucky enough to actually find this brick, what would she have to do to shut the thing down?"

Sweat poured down Waylan's face.

"Answer me!" demanded Remi.

"Uh…" said Waylan.

"Des, tear his arms off," said Remi.

"Wait!" said Waylan. "She couldn't have turned it off! It was hooked up to a keyboard that needed an entry code… I was the only one who could shut it on or off! I have no idea how she could have…"

Remi looked him cold in the eye.

"You are lying to me, Waylan," he said.

"No, I'm telling you the truth!" he gasped. "I swear…"

"We'll see," said Remi. "Cynthia!"

A very young female researcher jumped up.

"Yes master?" she said.

"Get this jerk's blueprints out of the lab safe…"

"But he gave me strict orders not to…"

"Don't force me to tell Des to rearrange that pretty face of yours," said Remi. "It would be a real shame…"

She ran over to the safe. "Yes master, anything you say," she said, with tears in her eyes. "Here's me getting them out of the safe…"

She pulled some papers out.

"Bring 'em here!" shouted Remi.

She walked over and he snatched them out of her hands.

"Good girl," he said. He raised his Rod and it glowed. "Now go and drink coffee until you start hallucinating."

She stiffened. Then she walked over to the coffee pot.

All this time, Waylan was praying to himself; Des hadn't relaxed his grasp. Remi leafed through the papers until he found what he was looking for.

He looked at the blueprint and looked at Waylan with flame in his eyes.

"One lousy switch, Waylan?" he said. "What the Hell were you thinking?!"

"I didn't expect anyone to find it!" said Waylan. "I… I made a mistake!"

"I mistake…" said Remi. "A mistake. Well, Waylan, thanks to that mistake, I lost Yugi's life force, my most powerful slave, and _almost my neck!!_"

Remi looked at Des.

"Your call, boss," said Des.

"Don't let him kill me…" begged Waylan.

Remi looked over towards the tables.

"Okay!" he said. "Hold him there for a minute Des."

He walked over to the female researcher who had spoken first.

"Gloria," he said, "is that the project I wanted you to work on?"

He pointed to a table where three small capsule pills were in a tray.

"Uh, yes master," she said. "I was working on a more… efficient version of the Hunters'… suicide pills. These work faster… once they hit the stomach, they kill in fifty seconds…

"Heh, not recommended for those with high blood pressure, low body fat, or women who are pregnant, nursing, or who may become pregnant."

Remi gave her a look.

"That was a joke!" she said.

"So I noticed," he said. "And what would happen if someone took all three of these at once?"

"Uh, that would cause death in about eight seconds," she said. "I believe."

"Really," he said. He scooped them up. "Let's test that. Open his mouth Des!"

Gloria gasped as Des forced Waylan's mouth open. Remi shoved the three pills down his throat. Then he looked at his watch.

"Dum-dee-dum," said Remi.

Waylan fell to the floor, with blood pouring out his eyes, nose, and ears.

"Eleven seconds," said Remi to Gloria. "They need more work."

"As for the rest of you," he said, "if any of you have even the _slightest_ doubts that anything you built is anything but foolproof, I suggest you get down to the city and work on it before it has to be used!"

He pointed to his scar.

"Because if THIS happens to me again, that will be YOU on the floor!"

He turned to Des Fist. "Let's go," he said.

They passed by the coffee pot where Cynthia was busy emptying it.

"All right, all right, that's enough," said Remi, gesturing with his Rod.

Cynthia stopped and looked puzzled.

"I don't know HOW I ever managed to live without this thing," said Remi to his companion.

Both of them laughed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Eleven o'clock AM. Jade was still in her trance. Her friends looked on.

"How long is this going to last?" whispered Clive.

"As long as it takes," said Yugi. "Be patient. We don't have anywhere else to go."

"Man," said Clive, sitting down. "We've been coming to this city for the convention and tournament for the past three years… and this was the first year I was actually going to compete in it. I thought we were coming here for a week of good clean fun… but now…"

He held his head in his hands. "You realize our poor parents are probably at the point of utter despair," he said. "We can't even phone them, they have no idea that we're even alive… I can just see my mother… staying by the TV screen, watching the news reports, crying her eyes out, and praying to Heaven that I'm still alive…"

"I know, Clive, I know," said Yugi. "That's all the more reason that we can't give up."

Yugi had been thinking the same thing over the last couple of days. He guessed his father could likely guess the basic nature of the dome covering New York, but he doubted that he had any idea that his mortal enemy had somehow been reborn in this new form. Could even his father imagine what had become of his son?

Mary thought it over as well. All her life, her father had been strong, and she had heard stories of how he had gotten so strong… growing from common street tough to powerful and disciplined duelist, defeating demons and horrors at the side of Yugi's father…

She sighed. He always doted over her, ever since she was little. He called her a "Rare Gem" sometimes, a pet name that always made her giggle. He spared no expense to make her happy. And he had taught her all she knew about Duel Monsters, even entrusting her with his most precious cards… even his ultra-rare Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Damn, she thought, how he must be suffering! Waiting, hoping, wondering what has happened to his Rare Gem…

A tear ran down her cheek…

Peter sat with his head resting on his hand. He had never told his folks the truth about the Duelist Labyrinth – they'd have never let him out of the house again if he had. And they were so proud when his book of photographs became a best seller. His mother loved showing off the book and saying that her kid did this.

There was no hiding the crisis from her this time. He imagined her looking through the book, knowing that if her son was dead, it would be his greatest accomplishment. He could see her now, looking through it, the pages likely stained with tears….

At that moment, the same thought came to the minds of all four of them:

This was a war that they could not lose. As powerful as Remi was, they had to defeat him. They had to make it home. Someone with power greater than all of them had chosen them as the City's saviors… they had to succeed!

And no sooner had they completed that thought, Jade's eyes opened.

"Outside," she said.

"What?" said Yugi.

"We must go outside."

They followed Jade out of the gym, where she walked down the street about a block. Despite the dark sky, there seemed to be a cheery nature around the street. Birds started to chirp, and small chipmunks scurried by.

A large office building with a promenade stood in front of them. Jade went to a place overlooking it, and squatted down.

"Something is coming," she said. "Something has led me here."

"What?" asked Yugi. "What do we have to do?"

"I believe," said Jade, "that we must watch…"

The four of them stood behind her. A dead silence overcame the area.

They waited.

And then, something happened.

Three colored birds flew down from the sky: a robin, a blue jay, and what looked like a large sparrow.

They looked at each other and chirped, as if greeting each other. They looked to the sky, and then chirped in delight.

Suddenly, a larger bird swooped down. Jade stayed firm, but the others gasped; it was a golden eagle! It was smaller than the average species, but this proud bird of prey was as beautiful and exotic as the ones they had seen in books.

The eagle approached the three smaller birds, and they rushed up to it. It put its wing around them, and it looked up to sky… directly at the Castle of Dark Illusions. A stern look came over its face. It squawked, and the others looked up. Their expressions changed as well.

"Mary," whispered Clive. "Do you suppose those birds are… us?"

"Yeah…" said Mary. "Those birds are friends, just like we are, and they don't like that Castle much… and the eagle must be Yugi!"

"What can it mean?" said Peter.

The three birds spread their wings, as if to prepare to take flight. But then a loud caw came from the sky.

About ten feet away, two other birds flew down. One was a very large raven, with an ugly face. The other was a hawk of some sort as large as the eagle, but it didn't match any species they recognized – its feathers were _green._

They alighted beside one another. The eagle looked surprised for a minute, and then it squawked an angry cry at the raven.

"It's all coming clear!" whispered Mary. "The hawk must be Jade, and that dark raven is Remi controlling Jade!"

"Now what?" whispered Peter.

The eagle starred at the hawk and the raven for a moment.

Then the raven made a caw, and thrust its wing forward! The hawk rushed at the eagle; the eagle lifted its wings, as if to say "NO!", but the hawk rammed into it knocking it down. The eagle's three comrades chirped in fear, and the raven laughed. The eagle got up, and then starred the hawk down.

Then the two birds of prey lashed out at each other. Thunder began to roll in the sky. The eagle's friends huddled in fear… the raven cawed in delight.

Eventually, the eagle fell; as he struggled to get up, the raven cruelly laughed.

The blue jay let out a loud cry. The eagle paused. It slowly got up to its feet…

The eagle leapt up in the air, and brought its talons down on the hawk. The hawk fell, apparently dead.

This seemed to please the raven to no end. It laughed with an evil crow.

But then, the eagle lifted its wings. Somehow, a light emitted from above, shining on it and the hawk. Slowly, the hawk got up to its feet.

The eagle and the hawk looked at the raven with looks of hate. The raven stopped laughing and started to back up.

The two larger birds raised their wings and made a rush at the evil bird. It cawed in surprise, and flew towards the sky, escaping just before the hawk's beak could reach it.

The eagle's three comrades came up to them. The green hawk bowed its head, and tears fell from its eyes.

Then the eagle put its wing around the hawk. They exchanged looks, and the hawk nodded.

The five birds flew off in the direction that the raven had flown, with the eagle in the lead.

Mary started to say something, but Yugi raised his hand.

After a minute, the birds returned. The eagle and the hawk were carrying the dead body of the raven in their beaks. They tossed it to the ground in disgust. The other three chirped in delight.

The five birds took to the air, and flew in a circle, as if they were dancing. After a moment of this, they flew away.

All was like it was before. Jade got up.

"I know what I must do," she said. "The message is clear."

"And?" said Yugi.

"To redeem myself, I will not slay myself… I must aid you in destroying the evil tide that has gripped this city. I may not survive the process, but I do not fear death. Remi must be stopped. I have my sword and my deck… I will use them both to fight him.

"Together we can defeat the City of Souls!"

"Yes!" said Mary. "Group handshake!"

The four who were now five put their hands together.

Inside Jade's mind, she looked up to the one who had reached out to her.

"Thank you kindly sage," she said. "You helped me find the right solution."

"Yes," said the Spirit. "And now I fear I must leave you."

He turned to leave the chamber.

"Wait!" she said. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Keep you friends close Jade," he said, "and I will always be near you."

He vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they walked back to the gym to collect Jade's armor, weapons, and supplies, Jade suddenly looked down.

"Yugi!" she said. "Your Puzzle! I forgot I had it!"

She removed it. "I'm sorry," she said, handing it back.

"No apology necessary," said Yugi, putting it back on.

A sharp pain ran through his head.

"Yugi?" said the Spirit. "I'm back. And let me tell you, I am _never_ gonna do _that_ again!"

"What did you tell her?" said Yugi.

"Very long story," said the Spirit. "Give me a few minutes to rest, okay?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Plate mail armor is difficult to put on alone, so Mary aided Jade with the task. As she fixed the last strap into place, she was startled as her cell phone rang!

"What the?" said Mary. "I still had that thing on?"

She pushed the button on it.

"Listen Remi, if this is you, we're going to…"

"_Mary?!_" said a panicked voice on the other end. "Oh, thank God, thank God! I thought I would never get though to anyone!"

"What?" said Mary. "Cassie?! Cassie where are you? What happened to you?!"

Yugi and his friends drew back in surprise.

"I'm scared!" said Cassie. "I've been wandering for two days, looking for someone, anyone, but I'm all alone, the sky is dark, and there's a creepy castle floating over Manhattan! God, I'm in Hell!"

"Cassie, calm down! Don't panic!" said Mary. "I'm here, and I have some friends with me. Where are you?"

"I'm in Central Park," said Cassie. "Across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Please help me!"

"Stay where you are," said Mary. "We'll come get you."

"Hurry!" she said.

"Cassie?!" said Yugi. "How'd she escape Remi's spell?"

"I don't know," said Mary, "but she was terrified! We have to help her!"

"Wait," said Jade. "How do we know that your friend has not been snared by Remi's magic as I was? It could be a trick."

Yugi thought for a moment.

"It is a possibility," said Yugi. "But it may not be. And either way, we must save her."

"Agreed," said Jade. "I will face any threat that Remi has in wait."

"Let's go," said Yugi. "To the subway."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Unfortunately, it would not prove that easy. After waiting half an hour at the subway stop, no train came.

"This worked before…" said Clive.

"No…" said Mary. "Remi controls the subways! He'll only let us ride them to take us to his traps!

"People, Remi is NOT behind this! If he was, he'd gladly send the subway. Cassie is in real danger!"

"I think she's right!" said Yugi. "Then we must walk the long way… over the Brooklyn Bridge, and to the center of Manhattan. I hope everybody brought extra shoes…"

Mary hit the callback button on her cell-phone.

"Cassie?" she said. "It's going to take us a while. We're going to have to walk to you all the way from Brooklyn."

Cassie started to cry.

"Don't despair, Cassie," said Mary. "I promise, we WILL come for you. Just tell yourself over and over, we are coming for you. I'll call you every half hour until the battery on this phone dies, I promise!"

"Thank you…" sniffed Cassie.

"Now be strong," said Mary. "We'll be there."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They walked up the pedestrian path of the Brooklyn Bridge. Jade led the way, her helmet under her arm, and her sword in her hand, ready in case any nasty surprises awaited them on the way. Yugi was close behind her, followed by the other three.

"Um, Jade?" said Yugi, as they walked.

"Yes?" she said.

"Remi mentioned the Rare Hunters he sent after you," he said. "A group he called the Dark Four… do you remember them?"

Jade stopped short. She continued walking.

"Yes," said Jade. "That battle will likely remain in my mind for years.

"As Remi told you," she continued, "I awoke sensing great evil around the whole metropolis, and when I saw a blackened sky and deserted streets with a full-size version of the Castle of Dark Illusions hovering over the city, I knew that horrific events were at hand.

"I was unsure why I had been spared the fate of the other city residents, but since I remained, I knew my duty was clear. I donned my armor, and went to seek answers. But after an hour of searching, all I found was empty vehicles, abandoned buildings, and uncanny silence.

Then it happened. I sensed danger coming. I gripped my sword, for I knew that whomever was approaching meant to do me harm.

They sprang from the buildings, from above. Men and women in dark lavender robes with hoods, holding weapons both ancient and modern. My mother had told me about the ones who wore this raiment… the trappings of the Rare Hunters, thieves and warriors employed by the fiend Marik, who had once imprisoned her in the Shadow Realm. The monster had meant to chain her there for all eternity… and even once she was freed, she was rendered insane…"

She turned to Mary.

"I owe your father a lot Mary, incidentally, for helping her…"

"It's what he does," said Mary.

"Anyway," continued Jade, they were good, but I was better. I fought them off, and quickly they fell. Soon, most were slain, and the rest were fleeing for their lives… but then, I felt the presence of even greater evil approaching.

"They came out of the shadows. Four superhuman warriors with power emitting from them stronger than I had ever felt. While the grunts I had fought were silent, these four elite fighters never shut their mouths; they took pleasure in mocking and cajoling me as they attacked.

The first one to strike was a man who called himself Mantra. He wore a purple kimono and had long black hair… he wore a gold amulet bearing the Roman numeral IV, so I assume he was the fourth member of the group. He seemed to possess magical sorcerous powers, for he led the attack, and began pelting me with elemental bolts of lightning, fire, and even ice.

"I avoided his attacks as best I could, but realized too late that he was only herding me into the grasp of the third member of the group: a muscle-bound brute who they named Des Fist. This warrior wore only purple trousers and gloves, and an amulet with the Roman numeral III, and fought with his bare hand; but his fists could shatter concrete. His fighting style used no defensive techniques at all, which I thought foolish at first, but when I struck him with my sword, I found that my ancient blade could not even scratch his skin.

"The second member was a beautiful woman in a purple dress who they called Lady Circe. I do not know what she is capable of doing, for she made no offensive moves towards me during the battle; she only shouted encouragement to her comrades. But I could sense that powerful evil magic of some sort emitted from her like a furnace.

"The final member, the leader I believe, was an intimidating man named Void. He wore a purple jumpsuit with a black starburst in the center, and an amulet with the Roman numeral I; he wore dark sunglasses, and he had short platinum blonde hair. I believe this man possessed mental powers… during my struggle with Des Fist, he looked me in the eyes, and my head erupted in agonizing pain. This was in fact, what gave Des Fist the opening he needed, and he knocked me out.

"By the time I came to, I was tightly chained to the floor in Remi castle, and the Dark Four were gone."

Yugi was hanging on to every word.

"Do you remember anything about the Castle?" he asked.

"No," said Jade. "I was kept in one room, and food was brought to me. Occasionally, Remi – the cad – came in and made me sing for him…"

"You can sing?" said Mary.

"I have other talents besides martial arts and Duel Monsters," said Jade.

"Don't worry," said Yugi. "I promise, Remi will suffer for your humiliation."

The two clasped hands.

They descended the final steps of the Brooklyn Bridge into the south part of Manhattan. Mary hit the redial button on her phone.

"Cassie?" she said. "Hang in there girl, we're about halfway there."

"Please hurry," begged Cassie.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the eves of Central Park, Cassie brooded as she hung up the phone.

"All going according to plan," she said. "All according to plan…"


	11. Game Board of Souls

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**Chapter Ten**

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**Game Board of Souls**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

As the party trekked towards their destination, the day wore on. Shadows started to lengthen as they pressed forward through the empty streets of Manhattan.

Every half-hour, Mary faithfully called Cassie back, and each time she hysterically begged them to hurry. This encouraged them to _truly_ hurry, even though their feet were killing them.

"Ow," said Clive, the next time they stopped to rest. "Next time I buy shoes, I get the ones with the _extra_-padded insoles."

"Come on, people," said Mary. "We're almost there. Cassie must be frightened out of her mind by now."

They reached Central Park, but they still had to walk about a half-mile to reach the Museum of Natural History. They passed through the park's serene pathways, with its peaceful gardens, beautiful monuments, and cool fountains. Eventually, they reached the general area that they were looking for.

"Cassie?" said Yugi, out loud. "Cassie, it's us… where are you?

"Don't be scared, Cassie," said Mary. "We're here."

Slowly, Cassie crept out of the bushes in front of them. Her eyes were red with tears. She saw them, and she happily rushed towards Mary.

"Oh, Mary, you came!" she sobbed. She hugged her. "It's been horrible! What's happened to us?"

"There's an evil spell covering the city," said Yugi. "Almost everyone living here is trapped in the Shadow Realm. Frankly, I don't know how you managed to escape it…"

Cassie looked serious for a moment.

"That is an interesting question…" she said.

Huh? thought Yugi. Cassie's voice just changed… deeper, with some kind of… accent…

"People…" said Jade. "Something isn't right here."

"What?" said Clive.

"Something evil… I sense it…"

"Remi?" said Peter.

"No…" said Jade. "A different evil… something more ancient and spiritual…"

"Wait…" said Cassie. "I know… maybe it had something to do with this little thing…"

She waved her hands over her chest and a golden shape started to take form.

Yugi's eyes opened wide in horror.

"The Millennium Ring!" he screamed.

"You got it," said Cassie, softly.

"Mary, Peter, Clive, Jade!" shouted Yugi. "Run! Run for your lives!"

"What?" said Mary. "What do you…"

"Uh, uh, uh," said Cassie. "I'm afraid there's nowhere for your friends to run…"

Four of the five prongs on the Ring pointed forward, and beams of magical energy shot forth, striking Mary, Clive, Peter, and Jade. They screamed.

And then they fell down, apparently lifeless.

The area around them darkened. The idyllic scenery of Central Park vanished, and they were all enshrouded in darkness.

The Millennium Puzzle sprung to life, and the change overtook Yugi.

"Cassie!" said Yugi. "What did you do to them?! Where did you get that thing?!"

Cassie chuckled. "You're speaking to the wrong person, Yugi," she said. "Cassie's soul now sleeps eternally in the farthest part of this vessel's mind. I control her form now. I do think it looks good on me, don't you think?"

Yugi searched his mind.

"You…" he said. "You're that… thing that took over the body of my father's old friend Bakura!"

"You're so insightful, young Yugi," said Cassie. "But I couldn't hang onto Bakura forever. He was making me chaff after a while. So I decided to move on. And now that I have possession of young Cassie, my plans can begin anew. I have one Millennium Item, and eventually, I will have all seven! Starting with your precious Puzzle!"

"You're dreaming, demon," said Yugi.

"Oh?" said Cassie. "I have stripped the souls of all four of your friends from their bodies. If you want them restored, you'll have to beat me in a Shadow Game… and wager your Puzzle against them for it!"

"Fine," said Yugi. "You won't defeat me so easily, you wretched beast!"

"Tough talk," she responded. "But I'm going to make you eat your words, vomit them back up, and eat them again!"

Yugi gave her an odd look. "That doesn't even make sense," he said.

"Humph, yes," she said. "But it sounded cool. That's the word for it, right? 'Cool'?"

"Let's just play the game!" snapped Yugi. "Just you and me, one on one!"

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, Yugi," she said.

She motioned with her hand, and a large rolled up mat, appeared in her hand. She spread it on the ground: it was a gaming mat.

"You are very wrong," said Cassie. "You won't be fighting this duel alone."

"What do you mean?" said Yugi.

"Did your father ever tell you about the first Shadow Game he played with me?" she said.

Yugi searched his mind.

He remembered. His father was in Duelist Kingdom with his friends Joey, Tristan, and Tea. This spirit had used foul magic to lock all of their souls inside their favorite Monster cards, and forced them all to actually play out the parts of the Monsters during the twisted game. It was a deadly situation in which they had barely escaped with their lives.

"I'll take your expression as an affirmative," said Cassie. "Now take a good look at your deck. I've used the power of my Ring to seal the souls of your four friends into four of YOUR cards. I won't tell you what ones they are, but since I'm not totally without compassion, I'll give you a hint… each one represents the image of their souls, their personalities and emotions."

Yugi looked at his deck in fear.

"What was it that old William Shakespeare once said?" said Cassie. "'All the world's a stage, and the men and women merely players.' Well in this game, Yugi, all the world's a game mat, and your friends are merely game pieces!

"So you'd best be careful of which cards you draw," she continued, "which cards you use, and most of all, which cards you discard, because you never know whether it will be someone you know! Let the Shadow Game commence!

"Let's duel…"

They drew their cards.

"Guess I'll go first," said Cassie. "So I'll summon the Fire Princess in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a small form slowly materialized from the card: a woman in a red dress with a wooden scepter. Flaming numbers appeared beside Cassie: (1,300/1,500)

The Fire Princess? thought Yugi. I know what that Monster does… He'll hurt me any time he heals himself… so I'll have to take her out…

He took a card from his hand.

"Celtic Guardian, in Attack Mode!" he said.

The Guardian appeared…

But this time, the warrior-elf looked different.

His armor was the same, his ears were still pointed, but Yugi quickly recognized his facial features…

(1,400/1,200)

"Peter?" said Yugi, looking at the small figure.

"Strange…" said Peter. "One minute Yugi was screaming at us, the next minute…"

He turned around.

"YAAA!" he said. "Yugi! What the?!"

"Peter, calm down!" said Yugi.

"I get it, this is a dream," said Peter. "Although usually I dream of naked…"

"I'm afraid this is no dream, Peter," interrupted Yugi. "Cassie has used the Millennium Ring to lock your soul inside my Celtic Guardian card… for all intents and purposes, that's who you are!"

"Cassie?" said Peter. He turned and saw Cassie. He drew back. "But why?"

"It isn't really her," said Yugi. "An evil spirit has possessed her. And we need to defeat her if we want to survive this Shadow Game."

"Okay, okay," said Peter. "I have no idea what's going on, but if you say so…"

He raised his sword.

"Here comes Peter the Guardian!" he shouted charging.

He brought down his sword on the Fire Princess, and she vanished in a burst of flame.

"Huh, that was easy," he said.

Cassie's Life Points went down to 1,900.

"Now what?" said Peter.

"It's her move now," said Yugi. "Keep calm now…"

Cassie chuckled.

"Sorry, Yugi, but I was hoping you'd send your little friend out," she said. "Opticlops, in Attack Mode!"

She set the card down, and a huge, one-eyed Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"What the Hell is that?!" said Peter.

"The last thing you'll ever see," said Cassie. "Opticlops, fiendish gaze attack!"

"What?" said Peter.

The Opticlops roared, and a ray of energy shot forth from its eye!

"PETER!!" screamed Yugi.

Peter screamed, and he was vaporized.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,600.

"Aw, too bad," said Cassie with a chuckle. "Looks like your Celtic Guardian was defeated!"

"Where is Peter?!" said Yugi, angry. "Where did he go?!"

"Where all destroyed cards go in this game," said Cassie. "The discard pile… what do they call it, now? Oh right, the Graveyard!"

No… thought Yugi. Peter…

He looked over his shoulder at Peter's prone form.

"That's the way the Celt crumbles," said Cassie, with a grin. "Your move."

Yugi snarled with hate.

I suppose I can assume that the cards with their souls in them are human-like in form, he thought.

He drew.

The Dark Magician Girl, he thought. Could this be Mary or Jade? Either way, it's the only Monster I have in my hand that can destroy that Opticlops… I'll have to risk it…

"Dark Magician Girl, in Attack Mode!" he said, putting the card down.

The Dark Magician Girl slowly materialized. (2,000/1,700)

No! thought Yugi.

The costume was the same, but he knew that face and hairstyle as well as his own. Mary's dimples and pigtails took the place of the Dark Magician Girl's normal face and hair.

"Huh?" said Mary. "What on earth…"

"Oh, look!" said Cassie. "Doesn't your girlfriend look adorable in that outfit! Kinda sorry I have to tear her apart!"

"What!" said Mary. "Cassie?!"

"Mary, listen to me!" said Yugi.

"Yugi?" said Mary, turning around. "What's going on?! Oh geeze, I'm going nuts!"

"Don't lose it Mary!" said Yugi. "We're in a Shadow Game, and…"

"_Shadow Game?!"_ said Mary.

"Don't panic!" said Yugi. "We have to play out this game or I won't be able to save you… but I'll need your help!"

Mary looked at Cassie.

"Okay, this is nuts, but I think I get the gist…"

She pointed her wand at Opticlops.

"Now how does this go?" she said. "Oh right, dark magic attack!"

She shot forth a ray of energy, and the Fiend burst. Cassie's Life Points fell to 1,700.

"All right!" said Mary. "Who rules!"

"Be careful," said Yugi. "We haven't won yet."

"Indeed," said Cassie, taking a card from her hand. "I'll summon the Millennium Shield, in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and a large, red shield with an eye on it appeared. (0/3,000)

"It will protect my Life Points from any possible attempt at a Direct Attack," she said. "Now make your move."

Yugi drew. His eyes opened.

"Fine," he said. "I'll first play a card that will let me rescue Peter… Monster Reborn!"

He placed the card down, and Peter reappeared in his Celtic Guardian outfit. The numbers 1,400 over 1,200 appeared again.

"And now I'll play another card facedown," said Yugi. "And that will end my turn."

"Peter!" said Mary. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing you'd want to find out about…" he said.

"You okay?" she said.

"I'm a little stiff," he said. "But I think I can handle it… nice outfit, by the way…"

"Clever move," said Cassie. "But it won't be so easy next time… I summon the Lesser Fiend, in Attack Mode!"

He lay the card down, and a huge, scaly, four-armed demon appeared. (2,100/1,000)

"In case you are unfamiliar with this Monster," said Cassie, "I'll let you in on his power – foes destroyed by his attacks _cannot_ be revived, even if you could get back your Monster Reborn!

"Lesser Fiend, attack the Dark Magician Girl with four-fisted fury attack!"

The Monster charged towards Mary with a roar. Yugi reached for his facedown card…

"Let him have it, Peter!" shouted Yugi.

The Kunai with Chain appeared in Peter's hand! He threw it out and it bound the Lesser Fiend!

The Fiend struggled as Peter maintained his hold on the chain.

"The Kunai halted your Fiend's assault," said Yugi. "And now Peter's Attack score is 1,900!"

"Big deal!" said Cassie. "Chain or no Chain, neither of your warriors can destroy that Fiend, and he can't hold it forever!"

"He's right Yugi!" said Peter, struggling. "This thing is strong!"

Yugi drew.

"Hold on, Peter!" said Yugi. He put a card down. "I'm equipping the Celtic Guardian with Invigoration!"

Peter started to glow. His stats changed to 2,300 over 1,000.

"All right!" said Peter. He swung his sword, and the Lesser Fiend was destroyed!

Cassie's Life Points fell to 1,400.

"Whoa," said Peter. "We're gonna do it."

"That's what you think," said Cassie. "I play… Card Destruction!"

Peter and Mary gasped.

"Come now, Yugi," she said, "you know the rules. Now we each have to discard our hands and draw an equal number…"

"Joke's on you, soul-stealer," said Yugi.

He showed the hand he had to Cassie.

"See? Not a single Monster card at all! So Clive and Jade are safe!"

Cassie growled. He discarded them, and made his draws, as did Cassie. She pulled a card from her new hand, and slapped it down in the Monster Card Zone, facedown.

"Your move," she said.

"What could that be?" said Jade.

"Ah, doesn't matter," said Peter. "I can take it!"

"Peter, don't!" shouted Yugi.

Peter charged the facedown card. As he did, a small purple reptile with antennae leapt out of the card.

As Peter hit it with his sword, he screamed, and an explosion of sparks cascaded around him. The creature burst, and he fell over.

"Oh, this is much easier when I work alone…" sighed Yugi.

"Peter!" said Mary, running to him. "Are you okay!"

"Muscles… locking… up…" said Peter. "Going numb…"

Cassie cackled.

"That was the Electric Lizard, you idiot," she said to him, "which will keep you good and paralyzed for the next round. Hurt, didn't it?"

She turned to Yugi. "Your stupid Guardian made the same stupid mistake that your stupid father made, because they're both so _stupid!_"

"He attacked you because he's brave," said Yugi. "Not a coward who's hiding behind a Millennium Shield!"

She chuckled. "You are very wise, young Yugi," she said. "But who cares?!"

"Don't let her get to you Yugi!" said Mary.

"Any other stupid move you'd like to make now that your stupid Guardian made that stupid attack?" said Cassie.

"I'll show you who's stupid," said Yugi, picking a card.

This is risky, he thought, looking at it. But if she attacks my hand again…

"Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the black-clad Warrior with his blade appeared…

(1,700/1,600)

It was just as Yugi thought. It was Clive.

"Huh?" he said, as if he just woke up. "Mary?! What the…?!"

"Clive, we…" said Mary.

"Where's Yugi?" he said.

"Behind you…" groaned Peter.

"Huh?" said Peter, looking around.

He screamed.

"Aw man, I've finally flipped…" he said.

"You haven't flipped," said Mary. "Yugi and Cassie are in a Shadow Game and our souls are on the line…"

"Oh…" said Clive. "Well in that case… Wait, that's worse… What did we ever do to Cassie?"

"I think there's some sort of demon in her body," stammered Peter. "Something from that necklace she has.

"Just try to stay focused," said Mary. "She can't beat all of us…"

"Alright then," said Clive, raising his sword. "You want a piece of this, Cassie?!"

"What are you going to do, fool," she said, "stab me in the toe? Besides, it's my turn now, and I summon the Poison Sting in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and a huge wasp appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"Poison Sting," said Cassie. "Attack the Celtic Guardian with needle stinger attack!"

The wasp buzzed and flew towards Peter. Peter gasped. He struggled to raise his sword…

The Poison Sting hit it, and fell apart.

"Did I do that?" said Peter.

Cassie's Life Points fell to 800.

"Why on earth did you do that?" said Yugi. "You knew that that bug couldn't defeat him."

"True," said Cassie. "But take a look at his stats!"

Yugi looked, and the Attack score of the Celtic Guardian fell to 1,900.

"Any Monster who fights the Poison Sting loses 400 Attack points!" said Cassie. "Now he's weaker!

"And now I'll use a Spell Card: Dark Blessing!"

She revealed a card that bore an image of a dark-robed priest.

Dark Blessing? thought Yugi. Anastasia had that card… how did it work?

"Dark Blessing restores my Life Points by an amount depending on what types of Monsters _you_ have on the field," said Cassie. "And since you have a Dark Monster, I get the maximum of 1,000!"

Her Life Points went up to 1,800.

"A Dark Monster?" said Mary. "Which one of us is Dark?!"

"Uh, Mary, that would be you," said Clive.

Mary looked at herself. The realization hit her. "No!" she said. "I've become some sort of black sorceress!"

"Take it easy, Mary," said Yugi. "'Dark' doesn't always mean 'evil.' They call Batman the Dark Knight, after all."

"Are you going to philosophize, or are you going to move?" said Cassie.

Peter got up. "Huh," he said. "Numbness is gone. Must have worn off…"

"Don't get too happy yet!" said Cassie.

Yugi drew. His eyes opened wide.

The Flame Swordmistress, he thought. Could this be Jade?

Well, even if it isn't, she can help this situation a great deal…

He selected another card and put it down.

"First, one card facedown," he said. "And then, Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the warrior woman in armor appeared. (1,600/1,500)

His three friends looked at her.

"Guys," said Clive. "It's Jade!"

Jade's eyes opened, and she slowly came to awareness.

"Huh," she said. "Where am I?"

She looked at herself.

"What deviltry is this!" she exclaimed. "Orange isn't even my color!"

She saw her friends. "Peter? Mary? Clive?" she said. "Why the costumes?"

"Deviltry is right Jade," said Peter. "A demon's in Cassie's body, and she's making us play this duel for real."

"Since when is a duel not 'real'?" asked Jade.

"I mean we're the cards," said Peter. "At least we're Yugi's cards."

Jade looked up and saw Yugi and Cassie.

"I see," she said slowly.

"You're certain you're okay?" said Yugi to her.

"I've faced stranger challenges," said Jade, lifting the fiery saber. "Well, actually, I haven't, but I will not back down!"

"Good," said Yugi. "Then you'll be pleased to know that just by being here, you increase the Attack scores of both Clive and Peter, by 300 points!"

Peter's attack was raised to 2,200, and Clive's to 2,000.

"The tables are turning soul-stealer," said Yugi to Cassie. "And now that the whole gang is here, we will triumph!"

Cassie ignored him and drew.

"One card facedown," she said. "And I'll place the Different Dimension Dragon in Defense!"

She placed the cards, and a glowing blue dragon with an odd shape landed before them and curled up. (1,200/1,500)

"Try saying that five times fast..." she chuckled.

"Why play that Monster?" said Mary.

"To stall us," said Jade. She brandished her sword. "Fear not, I can take down that dragon…"

"Jade, wait!" screamed Yugi. "The facedown card…!"

But he couldn't stop her. Jade shouted and leapt toward the dragon…

"Gotcha!" said Cassie. She flipped her facedown. Jade froze in place!

"Jade!" said Peter. Jade's Attack score fell to 900!

"Too bad for Jade," said Cassie. "I guess her martial arts training never taught her how to deal with a Spellbinding Circle!"

"No…" gasped Yugi.

Peter and Mary tried to pull Jade free from the shimmering pentagram, but she was stuck fast.

"You demon straight from hell!" shouted Clive. He lifted his sword and screamed, cleaving the Different Dimension Dragon in two!

"Quite heroic," said Cassie, "but you're too late to save your friend…"

She drew.

"Ah, perfect," she said. "Little-Winguard in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and a Warrior in dark armor, a bullet-shaped helmet, and a cape appeared. (1,400/1,800)

"Little Winguard!" she commanded. "Attack the Flame Swordmistress with stabbing wind-blade attack!"

The Little-Winguard drew his sword and charged towards Jade, where her friends were still trying in vain to pull her free. They screamed as the Warrior drove his sword home and she vanished. Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,100.

Cassie cackled. "Poor Jade," she said. "I guess she forgot one simple thing… in her real body, she was a mighty Samurai, but as the Flame Swordmistress, she was the weakest fighter you had on the field!"

"Wrong!" said Yugi.

"Eh?" said Cassie.

"Not while I have this Trap card," said Yugi.

He lifted it up…

"The Rope of Life?!" said Cassie. "How could anyone be that lucky?!"

"You'll never know," said Yugi. "I simply discard my entire hand…"

He did so, and a thick rope shot up from the floor of the center of the field and plunged into the darkness. It then grew taunt, and yanked Jade onto the field.

"…and not only is Jade restored, but her Attack score goes up, by 800 points!"

The new stats for the Flame Swordmistress read 2,400 over 1,500.

"So now she's the _strongest_ fighter I've got on the field!" continued Yugi.

"Jade!" said Peter. "Thank goodness! Are you hurt?"

"Only my pride," said Jade.

"You might think you've got me," said Cassie. "But due to the effect power of Little Winguard, I can order him into Defense Mode now, despite having just attacked!"

The Warrior assumed Defensive position.

Yugi drew. "Jade, why don't you take care of that," he said.

"My pleasure," said Jade. She swung her sword, and the little Winguard was obliterated.

"Don't think you've won," said Cassie. "You only have one card in your hand now, and powerful as Jade is, she still isn't strong enough to break my Millennium Shield! So just end your turn."

"Fine," said Yugi.

Cassie drew. She looked at them all with a grin.

"I don't like that," said Peter.

"You're about to like it even less," said Cassie, lifting a card. "First I'll use Red Medicine to bring my Life Points to an incredible lead!"

She put the card down, and her Life Points went up to 2,300.

"And now," she said, lifting a card, "the card of your undoing. I used a card like this all those years ago when I dueled your father, Yugi. And since you're all such great duelists, I'm sure you'll all recognize it… Behold!"

She showed them the card… the Man-Eater Bug!

"Good lord…" gasped Mary.

"I take it you recognize this creature," said Cassie. "All I have to do is set it facedown this turn…"

She set the card.

"…and when I flip-summon it on my _next_ turn, three of you will only be able to watch helplessly as the fourth is devoured! And if you attack it now, it will only do so sooner! The only hard part for me now is choosing which of you to destroy with it…"

"No!" said Mary. "It can't end like this!"

"There is one way out," said Jade.

They turned to her.

"In this realm," she said, "the summoned creatures are flesh and blood. Perhaps if one of us attacks the beast now, its anger will be such that it will strike the one who attacks…

"One must die so the others can live…"

She brandished her sword…

"And I can make that sacrifice…"

"No way Jade!" said Peter. "You just died a minute ago! I'll take that thing out!"

"Hello!" said Clive. "When a Monster dies due to an effect, its controller loses a fourth of its Attack points, and if either of you go, Yugi will lose more! If he loses, all of you have had it! I'm taking it out!"

Mary touched his shoulder.

"No, Clive," she said.

"Mary?" said Clive.

"It was my fault we're in this mess in the first place," she said. "I practically dragged you all here because I trusted Cassie. If anyone goes, I'm going."

She aimed her wand at the Bug…

"People, wait!" shouted Yugi.

They turned to him.

"Let me draw first," he said. "Maybe I can get something that will save all of you."

Cassie laughed out loud.

"What are you hoping for, Yugi?" she said. "Pennies from heaven? You have one card in your hand, and more than half a deck to go through… your odds are far against you!"

Yugi reached for his deck.

No, he thought. My odds are good. My Heart of the Cards is stronger than yours, demon… for you have no heart!

He drew.

"Here's my move, fiend," he said. "I play the Spell Card Monster Recovery!"

Cassie gasped.

"And I'll see the four of you later," he said to his friends with a smile. They all vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Now they are all back in the safety of my deck," said Yugi, "and unless you have a Needle Worm, you can't harm them there!"

Cassie snarled.

"Now, I reshuffle," said Yugi, "and draw five new cards."

He did so.

"Perfect!" he said. "I lay one card facedown… and then summon Kagemusha of the Blue Flame in Attack Mode!"

He set the cards, and a bare-chested Warrior with a quarterstaff appeared on his side. (800/400)

"This guy's Attack power is just high enough to beat your Bug's Defense, but low enough for me to endure the loss. Kagemusha, attack!"

The Warrior swung his staff, and the Man-Eater Bug leapt up. At the two Monsters collided, they both fell backwards, dead.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 900.

Cassie drew.

I have a big lead, she thought. And Yugi has no Monsters on his side… but that facedown card must be something _very_ deadly. He wouldn't dare make an empty bluff with stakes this high… I can't risk attacking…

"I'll summon Hyozanryu in Attack Mode," she said, "and that will be all."

She lay the card down, and the huge dragon with diamond scales appeared. (2,100/2,800)

Yugi drew.

Uh huh! he thought. A plan is forming…

"Okay, whatever you are," he said. "First I'll play the Spell Card Fissure!"

He put the card down and Cassie gasped. The Millennium Shield was blown to smithereens! Cassie's life points fell to 1,550.

"And now," said Yugi. "I'll summon back and old friend. Dark Magician Girl, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and Mary reappeared. (2,000/1,700)

"Hi again," she said. "Oh!"

She looked up at Hyozanryu.

"That will end my turn," said Yugi.

Cassie laughed.

"What's the matter Yugi," she said. "Having trouble with math? Well, say bye-bye to your girlfriend! Hyozanryu, diamond flash blast!"

The huge dragon powered up, and shot a beam of brilliant light towards Mary; Mary covered her eyes…

But then the beam switched direction in mid-air and turned back on Hyozanryu, blasting it into shards!

"What?!" said Cassie. Her Life Points fell to 1,025.

Yugi chuckled.

"You were so anxious to destroy Mary that you forgot all about my facedown card," he said. "A powerful Trap at that, and one of my favorites… Mirror Force!"

"Really," said Cassie. "I'm beginning to get annoyed! Well, I'll end my move by summoning Chaos Command Magician in Attack Mode!"

She placed the card down, and a wizard with a striking resemblance to the Dark Magician, but more feral, materialized on the field. (2,400/1,900)

"I can't attack with him now," said Cassie, "but it will be all over for your Dark Magician Girl next turn…"

"We'll see," said Yugi. He turned to Mary.

"Mary," he said. "The move I'm about to make next may be a little scary, but you must trust me…"

"I always trust you," said Mary. "Go for it!"

"Very well," said Yugi, selecting a card. "Magical Hats! Conceal and protect the Dark Magician Girl!"

A huge top hat with a question mark on it lowered itself over Mary, and then three copies of itself appeared.

"Now, then," said Yugi. "Mary is under one of these hats, the question is, which?"

"You're staking your girlfriend's life on a game of chance?" said Cassie. "She'll kill you if she survives!"

"Well," said Yugi, picking another card, "I'm also putting _this_ card under one of the Hats to give you something else to worry about."

He placed it.

"Now make your move."

Cassie snarled.

One of them has that bitch under it, she thought, another must have some sort of Trap. I'll just have to take them down one by one…

"Chaos Command Magician, attack the hat on the far right! Chaos magic attack!"

The Magician aimed and fired a blast from his scepter, blowing away the Hat. The smoke cleared.

"Ugh! Empty hat!" said Cassie.

"That's right," said Yugi. "And I believe I'll just draw and pass this turn. Why don't you try again?"

He passes? thought Cassie. He's planning something big, no doubt about it…

She drew.

"First I'll use my second Red Medicine card," she said, putting the Spell Card down. Her Life Points rose to 1,525.

"Now, Chaos Command Magician, attack the middle Hat!"

The Magician fired again…

But he only destroyed another empty one.

"Curses!" said Cassie.

"Getting tired?" said Yugi, making a draw. "I believe I'll pass again."

Pass again?! Cassie said to herself. I've got a fifty/fifty chance now, and he's still leaving her in danger! Trusting everything to the Trap he placed…

Well, it's their funeral… both of them!

"Magician!" she ordered. "Attack the Hat on the left!"

The Chaos Command Magician thrust his staff forward and fired. As the bolt sped towards the target, the Hat vanished and Mary appeared in its place!

"Bulls eye!" laughed Cassie in delight.

The magical energy enveloped Mary… a few seconds passed.

What? thought Cassie. She's resisting it? She should be nothing but ashes now…

Mary threw up her arms, and the bolt flew back at the Chaos Command Magician, blowing him away!

"What?!" said Cassie. "How?!"

Yugi smiled.

"I said that I put another card under _one_ of the Magical Hats," he said. "I didn't say it was Hat _other_ than the one Mary was under; you just _assumed_ that."

He lifted a card.

"The card I placed was this Equip Card, the Diamond Necklace, which made her stronger than your Chaos Command Magician!"

It was true. The precious necklace was around Mary's neck, and her stats now read 2,800 over 2,100. Cassie's Life Points slipped to 1,125.

"All that time you were trying to find Mary, you were only falling deep into our trap," said Yugi, "looking for an opponent that your Spellcaster couldn't defeat."

Fear started to appear in Cassie's eyes.

"I play a Monster facedown in Defense!" she said. She put a card down.

"Huh," said Yugi. "You don't fool me. That's nothing but a big bluff."

He put a card down. "Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!" he said.

Another familiar face appeared. (1,700/1,600)

"Welcome back, Clive," said Yugi. "Now let's end this duel. Destroy what she put in Defense Mode!"

"You got it, Yugi!" he said.

He charged, and an ugly man-eating plant appeared out of the card. Clive chopped it to bits.

"The Magical Plant Mandragora," sighed Yugi. "Couldn't you have done better than that Cassie? Now Mary, finish her off!"

"All right!" said Mary, aiming her wand at Cassie.

"This isn't happening!" shouted Cassie.

"Dark magic attack!!" shouted Mary.

The blast from her wand seemed to tear the whole world apart. Cassie's Life Points fell to zero, and the world went dark.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next thing Yugi knew, he was back in Central Park. He looked at his watch: 9 PM.

He looked, and saw Cassie fleeing in the opposite direction. He got up to chase her… but then he saw that his four friends were still unconscious. Fine. He'd deal with her later.

Slowly, the four of them woke up.

"Did… did we win?" said Peter.

"We're still alive," said Jade. "I believe we are victorious."

"Yes we are people," said Yugi. "And yet, I am troubled. Cassie got away, and she no doubt will strike again. Maybe not by this method, but she might have a more sinister plan-B in store for us.

"Still, I proved up to the challenge…"

He picked up his cards.

"All thanks to you and these guys."

He held out the Celtic Guardian, Dark Magician Girl, Warrior Dai Grepher, and Flame Swordmistress.

"Sure was strange," said Mary. "I'm just glad she didn't turn me into your Curse of Dragon!"

"Well, she did say that the cards you became reflected an image of your souls… personalities and emotions. And I think we can make educated guesses as to what that meant…"

"Oh?" said Peter.

"Yes," said Yugi. "The Celtic Guardian is an elf, a creature fond of beauty and art; I would say that matches you to a T, Peter."

"True," he said.

"Clive, you were Warrior Dai Grepher," continued Yugi, "a tough guy with a lion's heart: just like you."

"I don't like to brag…" said Clive.

"Jade, you're the Samurai, and the Samurai is a warrior of honor who supports her allies at all costs. So does the Flame Swordmistress. Her abilities allow her to aid her fellow Warriors on the field… with no benefit to herself, I might add."

Jade paused. She nodded.

"But why was I the Dark Magician Girl?" said Mary.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Jade.

"Uh, no?" said Mary.

"If Yugi were a card," said Jade, "he'd almost certainly be the Dark Magician… and the Dark Magician's closest companion is his beloved apprentice, the Dark Magician Girl. Just like you and Yugi are the closest of companions. You became the companion of his favorite Monster because you are so devoted to Yugi himself."

Mary blushed.

"I guess so…" she said.

"Besides," said Clive. "I think you looked cute in that outfit."

"Hey guys, look!" said Peter.

They all turned around. Cassie had dropped a card.

Mary picked it up.

"Her Millennium Shield card!" she said.

"That card is really powerful!" said Clive.

"I saw it first!" said Peter.

"I saw it second!" said Mary.

"People!" said Yugi. "We will not fight over it. I have no problem with confiscating that card from that evil spirit, but if you want it, you will play for it in a fair manner."

"How?" said Mary.

"First, I will hold it," said Yugi.

Mary gave it to him.

"Now," said Yugi. "Take your decks out and shuffle."

Mary, Peter and Clive did so.

"Don't look at me," said Jade. "I already have that card."

"Okay then," said Yugi. "Each of you draw. The one of you who draws the Monster with the highest Attack power wins."

Clive drew.

"Heh, Dark Scorpion Gorg the Strong," he said. "Attack of 1,800!"

Peter drew.

"Beat ya!" he said. "Terrorking Archfiend, 2,000 Attack points strong!"

"Mary?" said Yugi.

Mary drew.

She lifted the card and smiled.

"The Red Eyes Black Dragon?!" shouted Peter.

"Lucky," said Clive.

"All right then Mary," said Yugi. "Like I said, I see nothing wrong with taking this card from that demon. But the real Cassie is another matter – she's an innocent, and we can't just raid her deck. Like I said before, a duelist's soul is in her deck. If ever Cassie recovers, you must promise to return this to her."

"I promise," said Mary, taking the card.

And I promise you, Cassie, she said to herself. Whatever it may take, we'll find a way to help free you from this beast; whatever this evil spirit is, it won't hold you forever.

But as they tried to sleep that night, worry overcame all them. Remi was bad enough, but now the streets of the dark city had another foe stalking them, a foe that was almost as deadly…

If not more so.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**POISON STING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **Reduce the ATK of a Monster that battles this card by 400.


	12. The Rope of Life

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Eleven**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**The Rope of Life**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

They slept under the trees of Central Park. The dome of Shadow that covered the city may have concealed the sky, but the summer warmth still remained.

Somewhere over the dome, the sun must have started to come up, because the light began to slowly illuminate the city.

Yugi slowly woke up. Through his groggy eyes, he saw someone standing over him… someone holding a long golden rod…

Snapping into awareness he lunged at the figure, but Remi vanished with a laugh… if he had even been there at all. When Yugi looked down, he saw that a red envelope had been dropped on the ground.

Yugi picked it up. If that was Remi who had been there a minute ago, he knew what this must be… another clue designed to lead him and his group to another deathtrap. He shuddered. Today he would likely be putting the lives of himself or one of his friends on the line once again. But he had no choice.

He looked up at the Castle of Dark Illusions and cursed Remi for the hundredth time. He was going to find a way up there if it was the last thing he did.

"Wake up everyone," he said. "We've got business to attend to."

Mary, Clive, Peter, and Jade slowly roused themselves.

"You guys sure you're okay?" said Yugi. He figured that the battle that had almost cost them their souls might have been hard on them.

"All I needed was to sleep," said Mary.

"Yeah, well, I don't ever want to go though something like _that_ again," said Clive.

"Well, Cassie will likely strike again," said Yugi, "though I doubt she will use the same plan a second time. However, we have bigger problems…"

He held up the envelope.

"Our captor has sent us a new one," he said.

He opened it.

"Let's take a look."

He read:

_The greatest known menagerie, _

_That city dwellers flock to see_

_Is now the place you'll have to be._

"Humph," said Mary. "Remi is losing his touch. He obviously means the Bronx Zoo. 'Menagerie' is another name for 'zoo'."

"Still," said Yugi. "It doesn't make sense why this would be so easy…"

Nonetheless, they couldn't find any other possible interpretation of the riddle, so the quickly found the right subway stop that would take them to the Bronx.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They knew they were on the right track when the subway picked them up. Seeing as they were moving at Remi's whim, he must have wanted them to go that way. They reached the turnstiles that marked the entrance to the Bronx Zoo at eleven o'clock sharp.

They went in to the sound of chattering monkeys, the animals kept just inside the zoo entrance. Apparently, while the humans in this city had been banished to the Shadow Realm, animals had not. And apparently, Remi was instructing someone to continue to feed the residents here. He wondered why. But he couldn't worry about that now.

"So where do we go?" said Mary. "This place is huge."

"We'll wait," said Yugi. "We got here, and Remi is sure to give us a sign."

But fifteen minutes later, nothing from the Heir of Marik came. Yugi fidgeted.

"Could we have read the riddle wrong?" said Peter.

"The riddle…" said Yugi. "Maybe there's more to it…"

He looked at the paper.

"Oh!" he said.

"What?" said Mary.

Yugi read, _"That city dwellers flock to see."_

"The word 'flock'," he said. "That tells us where in the zoo to go!"

"How?" said Mary.

"Easy," said Yugi. "A flock is what a group of birds is called. So most likely, we have to go to the Bronx Zoo's new aviary. They just finished constructing it last year."

"Well," said Jade. "Let's meet with whoever seeks us."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was a short walk. The new aviary wasn't far away. It was a giant dome of glass that sparked in the light. A forest of trees could be seen below it. When they reached it, the glass double doors swung open.

They were surrounded by tropical birds of every shape and size. Rare and beautiful creatures flew from branch to branch, chirping and making beautiful music. But that did not interest them. In the center of the aviary, was duelist station, apparently unmanned.

Behind the station was a foreboding site. It was what appeared to be a cage, sixty feet tall or so, and forty wide, covered by a thick, black canopy.

"Okay, we're here!" said Yugi. "Whoever you are, show yourself!"

Silence.

"I mean it," said Yugi. "If you think you scare us…"

"Yugi," said Jade. "I sense a presence… something… evil!"

"Remi?" said Yugi.

"No…"

Slowly, a dark shape appeared on the side of the dueling station nearest to the canopied cage. A body slowly began to take form from the shape, and it wasn't pleasant. The first thing Yugi saw was glowing white eyes. A feminine face formed, with long, platinum blonde hair. Her body formed, and she wore a white Italian suit.

Yugi gasped.

"_Anastasia?!"_ he said.

His friends all drew back in fear.

"Hello Yugi," said the woman at the station. "Did you miss me?" Her voice was fiendish and more evil than he remembered.

Yugi trembled.

"Anastasia how?" said Yugi. "You're you know… _dead_…"

"You bet I'm dead!" she said, looking at him in hate. "And I'm back to make you sorry you ever born!"

"But, but why?" said Yugi. "I saved you, Anne…. the Reaper said you'd be granted redemption…"

"It was all a lie, Yugi," she said. "My pleas for redemption fell upon deaf ears. They cast me into Hell, promising I would burn forever; you should have left me to my fate… it would have better than what I've been going through for the past year…"

"No…" said Yugi. Tears started to well in his eyes.

"But Remi has great powers," she continued. "After a year of unimaginable torment, he made a deal with dark forces, and my infernal jailers have granted me one day of freedom in which to exact my revenge. It's only a day, but that will be enough. You are going to suffer for what you did to me, Yugi…"

Yugi was crying.

"Anastasia…" he sobbed.

But then the Spirit spoke to him.

"Yugi, get a hold of yourself," he said. "I think there may be more to this than it seems."

"Huh?" he responded.

"This apparition before us…" he responded. "There is indeed something about her that reminds me of Anastasia Pegasus, and not just her looks. But there is something different. I wouldn't be surprised if this is nothing more than some sort of trick that Remi is trying to pull to psyche you out."

"Really," said Yugi.

He came back to the physical plane. His Puzzle activated, and his mind merged with that of the Spirit.

"I don't believe you," he said.

"What?" said Anastasia.

"You look like Anastasia," said Yugi, "you wear her clothing, you even speak similar to her, but these things can be imitated. I wouldn't be surprised if you're nothing more than a spell-created thing that Remi has conjured up, with no more will of your own than a player piano."

"You will soon be proven wrong, Yugi," said Anastasia. "But even if you were right, you will still have to duel me if you want to save your friend behind door number one…"

She raised a remote, and the canopy of the cage behind her dropped. They all looked up and saw a young man dangling by his wrists from a chain, thirty feet in the air. Below him was a large pit.

"Siegfried?" said Yugi, flabbergasted.

It was only too true. Siegfried Kaiba was the one suspended from the chain.

"Yugi!" he said.

Anastasia picked up a plastic bag with a piece of raw, dripping meat in it; she fished it out of the bag and tossed it into the pit. Sounds of growling and snarling erupted from the pit.

"Let me explain the rules of this duel," said Anastasia. "We call it 'The Rope of Life.' Your friend is now hanging thirty feet above a pit containing a pack of ravenous British Colombian timber wolves who haven't been fed in a week! Every time you lose Life Points in this duel, even so many as five, the chain suspending him will be lowered towards them. If I lose any Life Points, the chain will begin to rise. You'll have to make your moves quickly if he's in a bad situation. If you win the duel, the chain will lock in place; lose, and the chain will break. And if any of your friends get any ideas about trying to help him, think again! The cage is protected by a wall of infrared beams, and breaking through them will cause the chain to break immediately!"

"Now get up here," said Anastasia. "I don't have all day."

Yugi looked at Siegfried. He hesitated.

"One minute to decide," said Anastasia, lifting the remote. "And then those pups get lunch!"

"Okay, okay," said Yugi. He boarded the station and it lifted him up.

"Be careful Yugi!" screamed Siegfried. "She's using my deck!"

"Siegfried," said Anastasia. "Shut the Hell up!" She hit a button on the remote, and Siegfried screamed in pain. Obviously, there was an electric current going through the chain.

Using his deck? thought Yugi. That means… three Blue-Eyes White Dragons!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his skyward lair, Remi was watching in delight. His assistant Madelyn was with him.

"Feeling doubts, Yugi?" he said. "You'd best get over them, if you want to save old Sieg!"

"So," said Madelyn, "who is he really dueling?"

"No one you'd ever want to meet," said Remi. "Recruiting this… individual was hard to say the least, but she will serve our purposes quite nicely.

"Hopefully, when this is over, Yugi's spirit will be broken beyond repair, both by the loss of his old friend to those wolves, and by the feeling that his so-called heroic actions only resulted in eternal damnation for poor Anastasia… I so love these games…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Now let's duel!" said Anastasia. "The first move is yours."

Okay, thought Yugi, after he made his five draws. Have to throw out the most powerful Monster I've got… and this is the strongest one at the moment…

"Curse of Dragon," he said, "in Attack Mode!"

The chitinous yellow dragon came forth. (2,000/1500)

"Not bad," said Anastasia. "But when you're playing against someone with the mighty Siegfried Kaiba's deck, you're playing against some of the mightiest Monsters in the game…"

She picked a card.

"Case in point," she continued, "Judge Man, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the golden armored, caped Warrior appeared, holding his hammer. (2,200/1,500)

No! thought Yugi.

"Attack!" said Anastasia. "Gavel bash smash!"

The Judge Man brought his hammer down of Curse of Dragon's head, smashing the creature's skull. Yugi's Life Point's fell to 1,800.

Worse, a gear in the cage behind Anastasia started to turn, and the chain started to lower Siegfried. The wolves started yelping.

"Arrgh! No!" shouted Siegfried.

"Hang in their, Siegfried!" said Yugi.

Got to move fast, he thought, drawing.

And this guy will do the trick.

"I summon Gaia the Fierce Knight!" he said, putting the card down. Gaia appeared on his mount. (2,300/2,100)

"Attack!" shouted Yugi. Gaia charged, and the Judge Man was vanquished. Anastasia's Life Points fell to 1,900.

The gears shifted, and Siegfried started to rise.

Thank goodness, thought Yugi. I bought him some time.

Anastasia drew. She gave him a look that made him shiver.

"I'm placing one card facedown," she said. "And then putting Saggi the Dark Clown out Defense Mode.

She set the cards, and the laughing clown in black and purple appeared. (600/1,300)

Siegfried's eyes widened in horror.

"Yugi…" he started to say.

"I said, SHADDUP!!" said Anastasia, hitting the button on her remote. Siegfried screamed, as the chain shocked him again.

Yugi thought for a minute.

He was trying to warn me about something, he thought. Some reason why Anastasia is using that throwaway Monster… but what…

Wait… my father told me about a time when he fought Siegfried's uncle… Seto used a trick like this to activate his Crush Card Trap… how did that work?

Right… to activate the Crush Card, you have to equip it to a Dark Monster with an Attack score of under 1,000, and then let it be destroyed… and then if your opponent tries to play any Monster with more than 1,500 ATK points, the Monster is destroyed immediately… That facedown must be Seto's Crush Card. Geeze, why would Siegfried have even put such a nasty card in his deck?!

It that Trap is sprung, I'll lose for sure… But if I don't attack this turn, Anastasia might have Saggi attack me, and the Trap will be sprung anyway!

The next card I draw best be a good one…

He drew.

He looked at Anastasia.

"Harpie's Feather Duster!" said Yugi, slapping the card down.

"What?!" said Anastasia.

The large feather appeared, and a cloud of germs fled from Saggi's form and vanished.

"So much for your Crush Card," said Yugi. "Gaia, attack!"

Gaia charged, and blew Saggi to pieces.

The chain was still lifting Siegfried away from danger, and Yugi grinned.

"How can anyone have been so damn lucky?!" said Anastasia.

"That proves you _aren't_ Anastasia," I said. "She'd know from all the duels she saw me do that my Heart of the Cards is unmatched!"

"I'll show you heart," said Anastasia.

She drew.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon!!" she shouted, throwing it down.

An explosion rocked the board, and the enormous behemoth appeared. It roared. (3,000/2,500)

All of Yugi's friends gasped.

"Go my Dragon!" shouted Anastasia. "Annihilate Gaia! White lightning attack!"

The Blue-Eyes blasted its breath weapon and Gaia was obliterated. Yugi's Life Points went down to 1,100. The chain supporting Siegfried started to lower.

"I must say one thing, Siegfried," said Anastasia, "your Dragons pack quite a powerful bite!"

"Yeah, well you can bite me too, Anne!" said Siegfried.

"I'll pass," she said, "but those wolves won't!"

"Do something fast, Yugi!" shouted Clive.

But how? thought Yugi. I can only defend right now…

"I'm laying a Monster facedown in Defense, he said, placing a card down.

"Fine," said Anastasia. "Attack, Blue-Eyes!"

The Blue-Eyes shot forth its breath-weapon, and the Beaver Warrior appeared before being vaporized.

"Guess your Beaver Warrior couldn't stand the heat!" she said. "I can't remember the last time I had this much fun! They don't exactly give me much free time down in the Underworld, you know… mostly I get flogged and whipped, and beaten and burned and dunked in boiling lava nonstop, all because of _you_ Yugi!"

"Shut up!" said Yugi.

He drew.

Mirror Force! he thought. I could destroy that Dragon with this…

"I'm playing a card facedown," he said, "and putting another Monster facedown in Defense."

The silhouettes of the two cards appeared.

"Okay," said Anastasia. "I'll play a card facedown too."

She set it.

"Now, Blue-Eyes, attack! White lightning!"

The Blue-Eyes powered up.

"Joke's on you, Anastasia!" said Yugi. "I'm activating my Mirror Force trap!"

He flipped the card over, and a shimmering light appeared in front of him.

"I knew you might," said Anastasia. "That's why I lay down this Quickplay card… Mystical Space Typhoon!"

"What?" said Yugi.

A whirlpool of darkness erupted on Yugi's side, and the Mirror Force shattered. The Blue-Eyes's attack shot forth, destroying the Feral Imp that Yugi had put in Defense.

Anastasia cackled.

Yugi looked over at Siegfried. He was now less than ten feet from the pit, and tears were streaming down his face. The wolves were barking like crazy.

Yugi drew. His eyes lit up.

"First, he said. "I'll play the Mystical Elf in Defense," he said.

The beautiful elf appeared chanting her mantra. (800/2,000)

"And I'll lay one card facedown," he said. "And that will do it for me."

"Heh, heh," said Anastasia. "We all know you're bluffing, Yugi. You've already used your Mirror Force, and you can't have two in your deck. And it was silly of you really… preventing me from attacking wouldn't have saved your friend…"

"Just move…" Yugi said.

"Very well," said Anastasia. "Blue-Eyes, attack the Mystical Elf!"

The Dragon's lightning bolt shot towards the Mystical Elf…

Then a colored shield with a green dragon on it appeared in front of her! The blast was deflected back towards the sender, and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon exploded!

"What? What?! No!!" shouted Anastasia. Sweat started to form on her face, as her score dropped to 1,175.

Siegfried began to be raised up, just two feet from the pit. All of Yugi's friends breathed a sigh of relief.

"How?" said Anastasia. "HOW?!"

"Now I know for sure you aren't Anastasia!" said Yugi. "The real Anastasia knew all about my Secret Rare Shield of St. George Trap Card, which has the power to destroy ANY Dragon, even the fabled Ultimate Blue-Eyes! And by the way, your make up is running!"

Anastasia gasped. She took a hand mirror from out of her purse. Sure enough, the flesh was starting to run from her face, revealing a pale color underneath.

She smashed the mirror on the console, and her eyes started to glow red.

"Enough of this façade!" said Yugi. "I demand to know who you are!"

The thing before him laughed.

"I may not be Anastasia…" she laughed, in a voice that was not human.

Then she started to change. Her skin became scaly and rough. Knobby horns sprouted from her forehead, and her teeth became fangs. Her hands grew into talons, and finally, huge, bat-like wings burst from her back, ripping through her jacket.

"… I'm just an old 'acquaintance' of her…" she continued.

Everyone, including Yugi, drew back in fear. Even the usually fearless Jade started to shiver.

"You look puzzled," said the demon. "You were right all along, Yugi. When Anastasia arrived in the hereafter, she was judged before a council. The vote was not unanimous, but they decided to give her a chance at redemption. Your pathetic pledge of forgiveness helped a lot if that makes you feel any better."

Yugi looked at her. Keep talking, creep, he thought. The more you talk, the more Siegfried if lifted out of harm's way.

"But she would have to work her little tail off if she wanted it," continued the creature. "So they sent her to a celestial institution… a boot camp of sorts… where even now she works hard to prove herself worthy of divine forgiveness. And the first thing they did to her there was a little bit of surgery, which removed the evil taint that had been put in her soul by her Millennium Scepter. They removed it, and cast it into the bowels of Hell.

"But that evil was too strong to die, Yugi. Eventually, it grew, took form, and gained sentience. I am what remains of that evil Yugi. And with Remi's power, I've returned to destroy you!

"And when Anastasia fails her trials, as I'm certain she will, I'll be waiting in Hell to greet her…"

"So then," said Yugi. "What you are is a heap of spiritual cast-off waste. Figures. And don't count Anastasia out yet, by the way. I'm willing to bet she's stronger than a piece of thrown-out leftovers like you could ever imagine.

"It's still your move, by the way."

"Fine," said the demon. "I'll just lay one card facedown, and let you worry about it."

She put down the card.

She didn't summon a Monster? thought Yugi. Odd… that facedown card must be something special… can't risk attacking…

"I'll play a card of my own facedown," he said. "And that will do it for me."

So far so good, he thought. Siegfried isn't getting any lower…

The demon with Anne's face drew. She chuckled.

"How appropriate," she said. "Anastasia gave Siegfried this card! Launcher Spider in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down and the huge mechanical spider with a rocket launcher on its back appeared. (2,200/2,500)

Yugi was surprised. Anastasia had personally given Siegfried, Jade, Mary, and himself a card as a gift before they competed in the finals of her trapped tournament. But although the card he had gotten was instrumental in saving Anastasia from having her soul consumed, Yugi never carried it in his deck anymore – it brought back bad memories. Mary was the same way, and he doubted that Jade had kept hers. But apparently, Siegfried couldn't refuse a powerful card.

"Launcher Spider," commanded the demon, "shock rocket attack!" The Machine blasted forth its rockets, and destroyed the Mystical Elf.

Okay, though Yugi. Fortunately, she was in Defense Mode. But I can't defend forever.

He drew.

Yes! he thought.

"Summoned Skull, in Attack Mode!" he said, laying the card down. The powerful demon erupted onto the field. (2,500/1,200)

"Attack!" said Yugi. "Lighting strike attack!"

The Summoned Skull powered up, and shot forth its electric blast, blowing the Spider away. His enemy's Life Points fell to 875.

"You attack me with one of my own kind," said the demon. "You'll pay for that!"

"Don't compare yourself to my Summoned Skull," said Yugi. "He may be a Fiend, but he's a far more honorable one that you'll ever be!

"And I'm not done," he continued, reaching for his facedown card. "I'll attack you directly with one of my great-grandfather's favorites – Hobbit Attack!"

He put the Spell Card down, and a small, elflike creature with a wooden cudgel appeared over the field. He cackled, aimed the cudgel at the demon, and blasted a beam of magic at her. Her Life Points went down five hundred points, to 375.

The hobbit laughed and vanished.

"Okay," said the demon, drawing, "that little piece of disrespect is going to cost you dearly! Looky at what I just drew!"

She showed him the card… it was another Blue-Eyes White Dragon!

"I'm playing it," she said, "in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and the Blue-Eyes appeared. It curled up into a defensive position. (3,000/2,500)

"DEFENSE MODE??" said Mary. "Who on earth in the history of Duel Monsters has EVER played a Blue-Eyes in Defense Mode?!"

"No one I've ever heard of…" said Clive.

She's up to something," thought Yugi. And it can't be good. With the Blue-Eyes in Defense, my Skull can't destroy it… so…"

"I'll shift my Skull into Defense as well," he said, turning the card, "and that will do it for me."

The Skull kneeled and folded his wings. What are you up to, whatever you are? he thought.

The demon chuckled.

"Let me in on a little secret, Yugi," she said. "Siegfried did a little research with his uncle over the past year, and due to Kaiba Corp's new alliance with Anastasia's company, they uncovered a secret…"

Yugi flinched. He'd forgotten about that… the alliance between Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corp that allowed the new toy Dueling Disk system to be made.

"It seems that Anastasia had a long term plan to release the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards as limited Secret Rares, and had devised a whole bunch of new ways for this powerful Monster to be used. The project hasn't been green-lighted yet, but some of the Blue-Eyes extras are in place, known to only a privileged few. And I'm about to treat you to the one that Siegfried uncovered…"

"No…" gasped Siegfried.

"First," said the demon, "I summon the D.D. Warrior Lady in Attack Mode!"

A woman in battered armor with a sword appeared next to the Blue-Eyes. (1,500/1,600)

The demon reached for her facedown card.

"And now," she said, "I use Polymerization!"

She put it down, and the two Monsters started to merge.

"A Blue-Eyes can be made into _another_ fusion monster?!" said Mary.

"But what?" said Clive.

The two Monsters were enveloped in a silver light, and took form, turning into a woman with brilliant silver armor, a helmet, a longsword, and a shield that bore the image of the Blue-Eyes.

"I give you," said the demon, "Dalama the White!"

(3,500/3,000)

"Heaven help him…" said Jade.

"They'd better," said Mary. "Because I don't know what else can!"

"Attack the Summoned Skull!" commanded the beast. "Blade of dragon's fury!"

Dalama the White charged, and cleaved the Summoned Skull in twain!

"And I'll end my turn by laying a card facedown," she said.

Darn, thought Yugi. I have nothing that can stand up to that Warrior. Unless…

He drew. He gave the card a look.

"I suppose you think that fused Monster is unstoppable," he said. "But I've got something better. Buster Blader, in Attack Mode!"

He put down the card, and the Warrior in blue armor came to life, brandishing his sword. (2,600/2,300)

"As you can see," said Yugi. "Since you've used two Dragons so far, the Blader's attack goes up by 500 points for each of them!"

The Buster Blader's attack score went up to 3,600.

"Yes!" said Mary. "Yugi's Warrior has 100 Attack points more than hers!"

"You think so?" said the demon. "I'm activating my Trap… Shadow Spell!"

"What? No!" said Yugi.

The demon flipped the card over, and a mass of chains flew from every side of the grid. The Blader dropped his sword, and was ensnared in the bonds! As he struggled, his Attack score dropped to 2,900.

"I knew you would bring out that Buster Blader," said the demon. "I may not truly be Anastasia, but I possess all her dueling smarts. And I have all the dueling skills that a duelist with a 1,203 – 1 – 0 record should have!"

Yugi snarled.

"Dalama, attack!" she commanded. Dalama the White swung her sword, smashing the Buster Blader to pieces.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 500.

Siegfried gasped, as the chain supporting him started to lower again.

"Whatcha gonna do now, Yugi?" said his opponent. "Not a single Monster you can summon can beat Dalama the White!"

He looked at the cards in his hand, and noticed one that had been there since the start of the duel.

I could use this to destroy that Warrior, he thought. But not alone. It all depends on my draw. He doesn't let me down that often… let's hope he doesn't this time…

He drew and held the card up.

"So," said the thing with Anastasia's face. "What will you summon now? I'm eager to see it!"

"Will you?" said Yugi. "I'm sure that even you remember that he's my favorite… Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the Dark Magician arose. (2,500/2,100)

The fiend chuckled. "Decided to go out with a bang, using your favorite card, eh Yugi?"

"That's what you think," said Yugi.

"Don't tell me you can't do math," said the creature. "When Dalama attacks next round, your Life Points will be all gone, and Siegfried becomes wolf chow!"

"But it isn't your turn yet until I say so," said Yugi. "And I have a Spell Card…"

He took it out of his hand.

"The Thousand Knives card!"

"Thousand Knives?" said the demon.

"This Spell Card allows the Dark Magician to instantly destroy ANY opposing Monster," said Yugi, "regardless of power. Face the facts, you ugly piece of abandoned garbage… you lose!"

"NO!!" shouted the fiend.

Yugi threw it down. "Dark Magician," he said, "dark rain of blades attack!"

A shower of knives rained from the sky, and they impaled Dalama the White! She screamed, and fell to the ground in a pool of blood. "Anastasia's" Life Points fell to zero, and the chain holding Siegfried halted.

"I… I lose…" said the demon.

And then she looked up in fear. Yugi's Puzzle was blazing, and the eye appeared on his forehead.

"No!" she screamed. "Stay back!"

"Remi may have helped you escape from Hell once," he said. "But he won't save you from there again!

"Begone demon!" he shouted. "Return to the infernal pits from which you came and never return!"

He stretched his arm out, and the beast screamed. She was blasted into nothingness.

Yugi descended from the dueling station, as his friends hurried over to the cage that held Kaiba. The door was chained shut, of course, but the chain gave way to Jade sword.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Once Siegfried was safe, he sat on a bench, drinking soda from Jade's pack.

"I guess I owe you two now," he said to Yugi. "Thank goodness you didn't use your Monster Reborn to summon the defeated Blue-Eyes when she had the second in Defense."

"Why?" said Yugi.

"Dalama the White is an Effect Monster," he said. "She can enact an effect like Change of Heart that can effect any opposing Dragon, every other round."

Yugi shuddered. He WOULD have used Monster Reborn at that point if he'd had it in his hand.

"How did you get captured?" said Mary.

"It was awful," said Siegfried. "I was at my house, planning to come here to help promote the company's new Duel Monsters' products – they gave me an executive position a few months ago, seeing as I'm a nephew of the former CEO – when four lunatics broke in… they slaughtered my bodyguards, and dragged me here. I didn't know why until just now…"

"The Dark Four…" said Yugi.

"That's what they're called?" said Siegfried.

"They captured Jade too," said Mary.

"Four mere fighters overpowering a mighty Samurai," said Siegfried. "What has happened to this place…"

"We aren't certain ourselves yet," said Yugi. "All we know is that Remi has some connection to Marik."

"Marik," said Siegfried. "My uncle mentioned him… He was afraid of Marik… and it takes a lot to frighten my uncle.

"Anyway," he continued, reaching into his backpack (which, strangely, had not been taken from him), " I'm glad I found you. They took my deck, as you know, but fortunately, they didn't find one card…"

He took out a black book, and opened it. Inside the cover, he opened two clasps, revealing a secret page, under which was an envelope.

"I was going to give you this Yugi, as a gift… you know, for saving me from the real Anastasia…"

Yugi opened the envelope. It was a Monster card depicting a beautiful woman with wings. The Attributes were Fairy/Light, and her stats were 2,800 over 2,000.

"Guardian Angel Joan?" said Yugi.

"She looks sort of like my St. Joan," said Peter.

"This is a non-Fusion version of St. Joan," said Siegfried. "And she has a powerful effect. Whenever Guardian Angel Joan kills a Monster, that Monster's Attack score is added to your Life Points. Give her a whirl, and you'll be nearly unstoppable."

"Yugi is already unstoppable!" said Mary.

"Thank you my friend," said Yugi. "This will be of great aid in our crusade against Remi."

"Count me in too," said Siegfried, holding up his recovered deck. "I can duel with the best of them… after all, you're the only duelist who's ever beaten me!"

"Very well," said Yugi. He turned towards the Castle of Dark Illusions. "Watch out Remi, because we're evening the odds!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his Castle of Dark Illusions, Remi brooded upon his dark throne.

"Well," said Madelyn, "it was… kinda close…"

" 'Close' only counts in horseshoes and nuclear attacks," said Remi. "And now I have lost a powerful henchman, while my enemy's group has once again grown. It now includes a duelist who is perhaps only second in skill to Yugi himself…"

He thought for a minute.

"Fetch me Void," he said to her.

She drew back.

"Um, Master," she said, "please, I really would rather not…"

"You can get him via your free will," said Remi, raising his Rod, "or you can get him after I use _this._ And being under the control of this is not very pleasant…"

"Yes master," she said, shaking. She left the room.

He went over to a drawer, and opened it. He took out a file and a photograph.

"Time to level the playing field," he said. "My Millennium Rod can completely dominate a person's mind, but it has other abilities as well. With it, I can control emotions, making what were once small admirations into fiery obsessions, making what were once pipe dreams into near realities.

"Bandit Keith was a duelist of fame long ago, whom my mentor once used as a pawn. He was fond of using a deck of Machine monsters, but while not the smartest of duelists, he was entirely lucid. He knew that he was a mere mortal whose actual skill at building real robots was nonexistent.

"But I could have changed that. The Millennium Rod could have changed his perceptions, making him believe that he was the Machine King himself. Especially due to his weak mind."

He looked at the file.

"And my next pawn will enspell Yugi in a way that not even he could imagine…"

At that point, Madelyn walked in. A dark figure was behind her.

"Um, Master, look who I ran into in the hallway!" she said nervously.

A man came into view. He wore a purple jumpsuit with a black starburst in the center. He wore dark sunglasses. His hair was long, unkempt, and platinum blonde. He wore a gold amulet with the Roman numeral I.

"Thank you, Madelyn," said Remi. "You are dismissed."

Without saying anything, she turned and ran.

"Madelyn!" said Remi. "Watch out for that…"

A loud crash echoed though the chamber.

"…china cabinet…"

He sat down and leaned on his hand. "When I get ahold of her, I'm going to…"

"Don't punish her, boss," said the man. "Your servants tend to be quite afraid of me… all four of us, in fact. I can't imagine why…"

"Let me take a guess at it Void," said Remi. "The four of you all have creepy powers, and I use you to discipline them. In fact, you punished her personally after the incident in the south wing."

"Ah yes," said Void. "I wonder if I was too hard on her…"

"Don't worry about that," said Remi, writing something down. "I have a job for you."

He handed him the slip of paper.

"You just need me to get this kid?" said Void.

"He's been asleep in his apartment since the summoning spell was cast," said Remi, and I need your… skills to wake him up. Tell him to bring his deck, and try to be friendly. I want this kid to like us… for now."

"It is as good as done," said Void.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Six PM in the Bronx. They had just finished the last of Jade's supplies, and were hanging around a small grassy area, wondering what Remi was going to throw at them next, as they knew he would.

Mary went up to Yugi.

"That demon was… horrible," she said. "But she got me thinking; what do you think really is happening to Anastasia? Do you believe that part about a 'boot camp'?"

"It's a possibility," said Yugi. "I might have forgiven her, but the Reaper did say she would have to earn redemption."

"What do you think they make her do in such a place?" asked Mary. "Do push-ups and scrub floors?"

"Maybe," said Yugi. "Learning humility is a key part of atoning. But I think that whoever is sent there is also subjected to a lot of therapy, persuaded to look back upon sins, and find the error of their ways, reject evil and realize without exception that the things they have done were unacceptable. Only when they have purged their minds of all traces of evil are they finally allowed to enter the bliss of Paradise…

"We can only pray that Anastasia succeeds."

Mary paused. "Well, when you die and get up their yourself," she said, "be sure to ask for her."

They looked up at the sky, towards the dark Castle.

Let's hope that doesn't happen too soon, they both thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DALAMA THE WHITE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,500  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description: **_Blue-Eyes White Dragon + D.D. Warrior Lady_

A Fusion Summon of this card can only be conducted by using the above-named Fusion Material Monsters. Once per turn, you can take control of a face-up opposing Dragon-Type Monster until the End Phase of the turn.


	13. The Doomspell Tournament

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Twelve**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**The Doomspell Tournament**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Into the night, Remi waited in his chamber, his eye on the huge gemstone in the background. He hadn't "fed" it since Paste-Face had perished, but he was certain that it would soon feed again. Yugi might not be as reluctant to destroy his next opponent as he was Jade, but he was certain there would be some reluctance, and perhaps this new duelist would prove a match for his enemy…

After all, this one had nearly beaten Yugi once before; and that time, he didn't have the help that Remi would provide.

At around midnight, Void came into the chamber.

"I've brought him sire," said the henchmen.

"Well where is he?" said Remi.

"He's…" said Void looking behind him.

"Come on," he said, persuasively. "Nothing to be afraid of here…"

A sixteen-year-old wandered in. He was gazing at wonder at the architecture around him, and all the antiques and artwork.

He was a thin boy, wearing a polo shirt and jeans, with brown hair, and glasses with a broken, bandaged bridge (he'd broken the bridge on purpose). Barely visible under his bangs on his forehead was a simple design he always drew on with a makeup pen – a small jagged slash. At his hip was a small sheath, holding a wooden baton, about a foot long.

"Nice place you have here," he said, in a accent that was clearly British. "Ah, mister…"

"I prefer my title," said Remi, getting up. "I am known as the Heir of Marik. So pleased to finally meet you Terone… or do you prefer your own self appointed title…

"The Duelist of Hogwarts!"

"Uh, heh," said Terone. "That's what they call me on the gaming circuits. I must admit I'm a little surprised… I remember getting ready to go to the convention, then feeling very sleepy… and then this guy…" He pointed to Void. "… wakes me up and tells me he has the dueling event of a lifetime for me…"

"Indeed I do," said Remi.

His Rod began to glow dimly.

"Mind if I see your deck?"

"Huh?" said Terone. "Oh, sure… Just don't lose anything, I have some rare cards in there…"

He handed Remi his deck, and Remi flipped through it.

"Indeed you do," said Remi. "Interesting. You seem quite the fan of the great J.K. Rowling, Terone."

"Well, she always has been my favorite," he responded. "And one person told me that a duelist needs to have a method to his dueling…"

"And quite a method you have," said Remi. "Let me in on a little secret about the Duel Monsters game, Terone. Years ago, when Maximillion Pegasus first invented the game, it's original name was 'Magic and Wizards'. He had the idea that players could imagine themselves as wizards, using magic to summon their creatures and work their spells. But, sadly, the name seemed lame to him, and he changed it when the second edition came out six months after the game's debut.

"But still, there is a lot of truth in that old name…"

His Rod began to glow brighter.

"Do you remember what happened at last year's convention, Terone?" said Remi.

"Nothing big," said Terone. "I entered the tournament, and I lost."

"Yes, but who defeated you?"

"Uh, some kid named Yugi, if I remember," he replied.

"And he humiliated you quite soundly, if I remember," said Remi.

"How do you know?" said Terone.

"Because, my friend," said Remi. "I saw the whole thing…"

He raised his Rod, and a swirling portal appeared. An image of a dueling station in an auditorium appeared, surrounded by a cheering crowd… Terone drew back in surprise, but he looked with curiosity.

Yugi was at one end of the station, Terone was at the other.

"I remember that duel as if it were yesterday," said Remi, as the action started to play out on the image. "You were winning by a substantial lead. Yugi had his Dark Magician Girl out, and you thought you could wipe out his Life Points by destroying her with your Serpent Night Dragon. But you didn't know that Yugi had set a lethal Trap for you at that point…"

"His Shield of St. George!" said Terone. "I remember…"

"Bingo," said Remi. "It wiped your Dragon out. But you weren't worried. You knew you had a Monster Reborn in your deck, and several ways to make the Dragon stronger, and now Yugi had used up his Shield. So, you used Goblin's Secret Remedy to heal, and then used Ultimate Offering to set two Monsters in Defense Mode. You had to burn 500 Life Points, but you thought you had enough to spare.

"But then, Yugi played not one, but TWO trump cards. He first summoned his Dark Magician; then came the ultimate humiliation… he used a Monster Reborn of his own to bring back _your_ Serpent Night Dragon!"

Terone clutched his hands into fists.

"Only he wasn't yours at that point," continued Remi. "He used his two Spellcasters to destroy your two Monsters, and then made a Direct Attack with the Dragon, wiping you out. Imagine, turning a duelist's best creature on his own master!"

"He made a fair move…" sighed Terone. "Lots of duelist pull tricks like that…"

Remi's Rod began to glow.

"Oh, but Yugi is special," said Remi, as the image faded. "He's no mere muggle, Terone. He's a full-fledged wizard himself. Just like me… and you…"

"Me?" said Terone. "But…"

"All duelists have a little magic in them," said Remi. "That's why Pegasus gave the game the original name as he did. But I can see the potential in you… you have a gift that few have… and you can defeat Yugi and repay him for that humiliation… he'll be waiting for you tomorrow morning if you're up to the challenge…"

The Rod glowed brightly but, Terone did not seem to see it. Anger formed in his eyes.

"Just tell me what to do…" he said.

"Well," said Remi, rubbing his chin.

He walked over to a closet.

"That outfit you have on is hardly formidable enough for my tastes. You look like a nerd…"

"Well, that's the idea," said Terone. "So did Harry Potter…"

"Regardless," said Remi, opening the cabinet. "It could use an addition…"

He pulled out a long dark robe with a hood.

"Try on this," he said.

Remi shrugged, and slipped the robe on.

"Well, it's comfy," he said. "But a little… intense… I kind off look more like a Death Eater…"

"Well then," said Remi. "Then just call me He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"

"Yeah…" said Terone. "This will shake Yugi up…"

"And I think your deck could use one more addition to it," said Remi, lifting up a small pine box.

"Consider this… a gift…"

He opened it, and Terone's eyes opened as wide as saucers.

"You're kidding?!" he said, as he looked at it. "I've heard of this card, but I never thought I'd actually _see_ it!"

"Take it!" said Remi. "I have a lot of good ones…"

Terone's hand shook as he took the card and placed it in his deck.

"Now," said Remi, as his Rod started to glow again. "Here's what we'll do…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After Remi had sent Terone to his destination, Void (who had been listening the whole time) came up behind him.

"He'll be more than a match for young Yugi," said Void.

"Possibly," said Remi, laying his Rod against his shoulder. "And if Terone proves triumphant, maybe I'll decide to keep him!"

He crossed the room, and took a special book from a bookcase. He went out to the balcony of his Castle again, and faced Manhattan.

He took the multicolored gemstone from his pocket.

"_Shining bridge and bright rainbow,_

_Take me to the ground below."_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Six o'clock the next morning, Yugi and his six allies woke up, having slept at a small motel near the Bronx Zoo. Getting into it was easy. Picking locks was only one of the talents Jade had learned in her years of hard training. Unfortunately, a continental breakfast was out of the question.

With their stomachs rumbling, they went in search of a place where they could find something edible. It was getting difficult now. Fruit was rotting, and grains were nearly stale. It wouldn't be long before the perishables that were kept in the stores' refrigerators and even freezers would perish as well. After that, they would be limited to canned food and other non-perishables; not that there was any lack of them, but it wouldn't be a pleasant way to live. They hoped that this insanity would end soon.

Mary looked at the Castle in disgust. Remi probably had bacon and eggs and fresh orange juice up there, and he sure wouldn't share with them.

They found a grocery store and ate yogurt and some hard biscuits. Feeling full but not satisfied, they took to the streets again.

"When I get my hands on that Remi," said Siegfried, "I'm going to tear out his eyes, and stuff them down his pants, so he can WATCH me kick the crap out of him!"

"Such language, Sieg," said a voice from above. "Didn't your uncle ever teach you etiquette?"

They looked up. Remi was standing on the roof of a building over them.

"Oh, that's right," he continued. "He wasn't too pleasant a person either…"

Jade drew her sword. "Come down here and fight like a man, you coward!"

"Now Jade," said Remi. "Like I told Yugi, you all are going to have to _earn_ the right to actually confront me. And you haven't quite done so yet."

Jade sheathed her sword. "If you think you're safe from me up there…" she said.

She leapt up and grabbed ahold of the wall. She quickly started to climb towards Remi.

"Oh, I'm worried now," said Remi.

He took a package that he was holding under his arm, and dropped it, hitting Jade in the forehead. She lost her grip and fell.

"Bulls eye," said Remi. "Open it. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

He held the gemstone up to the sky.

"_Shining rainbow, bridge of light,_

_Take me to the lair of night!" _

The Rainbow Bridge appeared, and he was gone.

"My fault," said Jade. "Should have had my helmet on…"

"He likely would have escaped before you got to him anyway," said Yugi.

He picked up the package. "I guess this is safe to open… it isn't ticking…"

He opened it. It was a hardcover book.

_Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_

"Huh?" said Clive.

"This is a clue?" said Peter.

"I'm not a big fan of fantasy books," said Jade. "I'm more into Shakespeare, Milton, Dickens, that sort of thing."

"I'm not exactly a 'reader' myself," said Siegfried.

Yugi skimmed through the book. "No notes inside," he said. "No dog-eared pages… no pen marks inside… It's nothing but a book."

Mary spoke up.

"I read all the Harry Potter books when I was a kid," she said. "There must be something about either this book, or the whole series, or the author that points to a building in this city… but I'm not sure…

"Clive, give me that book, _The Teenager's Guide to the Big Apple_."

He handed it to her. She leafed though the pages.

"Bingo," she said. "The J.R.R. Tolkien Museum of Fantasy."

"Tolkien wrote _The Lord of Rings_," said Yugi. "These books were after his time."

"Yes, everyone knows that," said Mary. "The museum was named in his honor – him being the Father of Modern Fantasy – but the museum itself has exhibits dedicated to hundreds of different sources, from novels, movies, video games, and other sources.

"And get this: only six months ago, an entire new wing was opened dedicated 'To the great J.K. Rowling and her works'. I'll bet my Red Eyes that we'll find our next task at the museum.

"We're going to Manhattan, guys."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The subway quickly took them to midtown Manhattan, and a short walk from the station, they were within sight of the J.R.R. Tolkien Museum of Fantasy. It looked like a palace, the kind you see in fairytales and fables. It was quite out of place in the steel and concrete canyons surrounding them.

They walked in, and past the security desk, entering a world full of amazing artifacts.

Old books, movie props, posters, toys, and various other paraphernalia were on display, all relating to authors such as H.G Wells, Jules Verne, and H.P. Lovecraft. Whole wings were devoted to filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. But they knew which wing they had to seek – one that was on the fourth floor.

Carefully ascending the stairs, they approached the new J.K. Rowling wing and went in. It was a Harry Potter fan's dream come true.

There were exhibits of all kinds adorning the walls and in glass cases. Rare copies of Rowling's first drafts, movie props, various letters and scripts, old movie posters; but the decorations made all the difference. Adorning the walls were the four crests of Hogwarts – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Hanging from the ceiling were several models of the various fantastic monsters that populated Rowling's books.

And a large dueling station was set up in the center.

"Okay," said Yugi. "Now what nightmare is going to pop up out of the shadows?"

"Oh Yugi," said a voice, "so brave… I like an attitude like that…"

A figure in a dark robe appeared from behind the station. Yugi and his friends stood their guard.

The figure drew back his hood, revealing his face.

"Remember me, Yugi?" said Terone.

Yugi searched his mind. "Terone?" he said. "The Duelist of Hogwarts?"

"You know this guy, Yugi?" asked Siegfried.

"I dueled him at last year's convention," said Yugi.

"Right," said Terone. "And I'm going to pay you back for the cheap move you made!"

"Cheap move?" said Yugi. "I won fair and square!"

"You made the whole crowd laugh at me!" said Terone. "I'm not about to let you walk away from that! And the Heir of Marik has helped me recognize my true potential, Yugi – I can beat you_ this_ time!"

In his mind, Yugi spoke to his partner.

"What has happened, Spirit?" said Yugi. "Has Remi enslaved Terone's mind too?"

"No," said the Spirit. "I don't think Remi has gone that far – yet. But Remi has done something to Terone. Possibly he's brought resentful emotions that were once suppressed into the forefront in a dramatic way. Terone may not see the truth in what he's getting into."

"Then maybe we can reason with him…" said Yugi.

The puzzle activated, and Yugi transformed.

"Terone," said Yugi, out loud. "Perhaps you aren't aware of the immense danger you are putting yourself in. The Heir of Marik is a madman, and in the duels he sets up, the duelists play for keeps! If you lose this duel, you will be killed!"

"Yeah, Terone," said Mary. "You sure you don't want to settle this with a game of Quidditch? It would be a lot safer…"

"Shows how much YOU know," said Terone. "You and your group don't even have enough players for a Quidditch team. Besides, the rest of you are likely all muggles anyway. This is a contest that only true wizards can settle. So step up to bar, Yugi, if you aren't a coward!"

Wizard? though Yugi. That's the first time anyone's ever called me that, but I guess I fit the profile. Still, Terone is definitely out of touch with reality.

He backed up towards his friends.

"Try to find whatever trap Remi has set," said Yugi. "Maybe we can nip his plan in the bud before this ends."

Yugi and Terone mounted the station, and they shuffled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I can't fool you, Yugi," said Remi, who was watching, with Void by his side. "But my trap is too well hidden this time… And if all goes right, one year from now, your friends will all be throwing you your first deathday party!

"Oh, I can't wait to see how this turns out…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and Terone drew, as Yugi's friends started to scan the room. They couldn't seem to see any wires, panels, or anything of that nature. But something had to be amiss.

"Okay then Yugi," said Terone.

"DUEL!" they both said.

"You make the first move," said Terone.

"Right," said Yugi. "And I summon Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and Dai Grepher appeared, swinging his sword menacingly. (1,700/1,600)

"Interesting," said Terone.

He chose a card.

"I lay one card facedown," he said. "And I summon the Ogre of the Black Shadow in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and a huge, muscular giant carrying a club appeared. (1,200/1,400)

"This guy isn't as nice or as handsome as old Hagrid," said Terone, "but he gets the job done."

Why'd he play that weak Monster? thought Yugi. This has Trap written all over it…

"Come on," said Terone, "attack me if you have the guts!"

He's bluffing, said Yugi. I can take out that guy…

"Warrior Dai Grepher," said Yugi. "Attack!"

Dai Grepher charged forward…

"Sorry Yugi," said Terone, "looks like you fell right into my Trap."

He flipped a card over, and a shimmering wall of glass appeared between the two Monsters.

"The Mirror Wall!" said Yugi.

"You've got it," said Terone. "My Mirror Wall causes the attack of any creature you send against me to backfire, cutting his Attack power in half!"

Dai Grepher's Attack skidded backwards, and his score fell to 850.

"Ironic," said Terone. "The first book of Rowling's series featured a magic mirror which showed the viewer his greatest desire… but this mirror only shows him the face of defeat. Ogre of the Black Shadow, attack Dai Grepher with club bash attack!"

The Mirror Wall came down, and the Ogre swung his club, smashing Dai Grepher. He fell, and Yugi's Life Points went down to 1,650.

Now what? thought Yugi. I can't get at that Ogre while the Mirror Wall is in place… better defend…

"Mystical Elf, in Defense Mode!" he said.

He placed the card down, and the Mystical Elf arose. (800/2,000)

"That will do it for me," said Yugi.

"Sorry, Yugi," said Terone, drawing. "But if you think that Elf will protect you…"

He drew the baton from his sheath (actually, it was more like a wand), and took a card from his hand.

"… you're not going last much longer…"

He lay the card down and waved the wand, shouting, "_Accio!_ Serpent Night Dragon in Attack Mode!"

A dark shadow appeared on the grid, and the huge, sinewy dragon floated above the field! (2,350/2,400)

Yugi drew back. He used this guy last time we dueled! he thought.

"Serpent Night Dragon, commanded Terone. "Attack the Mystical Elf! Nightmare sonic blast!"

The Dragon shot forth a wave of dark energy, and the Mystical Elf was gone.

"Now, Ogre of the Black Shadow, attack Yugi Directly!" he commanded.

The Ogre charged forward and swung his club, smashing at Yugi! He covered his face, and his Life points dove all the way to 450.

"Guys!" said Mary. "We have to find the trap… fast!"

"Can't you sense it?" said Siegfried to Jade. "I thought all those mental exercises you had allowed you to find sources of danger and all that!"

Jade didn't answer, but Siegfried's angry "persuasion" gave her an idea.

She closed her eyes and began to concentrate, focusing on the source of the martial artist's abilities, something that they called _ki_. Ki was stronger in some than it was in others, and as the strongest Samurai in her order, hers was very strong. It would be wrong to call it a psychic power or magic, but it was a power nonetheless.

In a way that few could understand, she concentrated on the layout of the room before her. But it was a complex room for her. The dueling station was an item she could well understand, but the items around her were toys she had never played with, props from movies she had never seen, and books that she had never read. J.K. Rowling was never a favorite of hers; she'd have considered it silly if someone like her had ever read such childish novels, even if they were so popular. Would her sensei have approved? (Maybe he would have, actually – he was very open-minded.) But it was too late for that now. Now, finding a dangerous item in a room that was so strange to her would take time…

And she hoped Yugi would not run out of time first.

Damn said Yugi, as he drew. I won't last another round with that Mirror Wall and those two Monsters on the field…

He looked at the card he drew.

Then he looked at one in his hand.

Hmm, he thought. My dad was in a situation like this once when he dueled Jade's mom… maybe the same strategy can work here…

"Okay Terone," he said. "You may have vanquished my Mystical Elf, but I can still use her gift… Gift of the Mystical Elf!"

He put the card down, and the Mystical Elf appeared, chanted and vanished, bringing Yugi's Life Points up to 1,450.

"Now, I'll go on the offensive," he said, "with the magic power of Brain Control!"

He put the card down, and the giant brain appeared on the grid.

"Brain Control?!" said Terone.

"It let's me brainwash one opposing Monster," said Yugi, "and bring it under my command for one full turn. And I'll use it to seize control of your Serpent Night Dragon!"

The brain's demonic arms reached out, and grabbed the Dragon. The Ogre of the Black Shadow backed up.

"Don't worry," said Yugi. "I don't intend to have him attack your Ogre… I have another idea."

He selected a card. "I summon the Catapult Turtle!"

He put the card down, and the enormous robotic reptile appeared. (1,000/2,000)

"Oh!" said Mary. "That thing was able wreck the Temple of Tao… will it work on a Mirror Wall?"

"Possibly…" said Clive.

"Now," said Yugi. "Let's put the Serpent Night Dragon on the Catapult and ready it in Attack Mode!"

The Dragon mounted the Turtle, and the huge contraption took aim. The Mirror Wall sprang up.

"Since I just called an attack," said Yugi. "Your Mirror Wall activates… and I'm gonna smash it to smithereens!"

"No!" said Terone.

"Catapult Turtle!" shouted Yugi. "Catapult Launch the Serpent Night Dragon! FIRE IN THE HOLE!!"

The Turtle's rockets ignited, and the Dragon was sent flying. The Mirror Wall was blasted to pieces, and shards showered everywhere.

Terone gasped.

"And I've done more than just bust your best Trap," said Yugi. "Since I sacrificed that Monster, half of his Attack Points are now deducted from your Life Points! The tide of this battle is turning, Terone…"

Terone's Life Points fell to 825.

Terone drew and looked at his cards.

The only Monster Yugi has on the field is that reptilian rocket launcher, he thought. My Ogre could destroy it, but it would only cost Yugi two hundred Life Points, and if he sent out something more powerful, that would put me at risk. So…

"I'll use Goblin's Secret Remedy to heal," said Terone, putting the Spell Card down. A sprig of leaves appeared over the field, and his Life points went up to 1,425.

"And I'll just switch my Ogre into Defense," he said.

The Ogre of the Black Shadow moved into Defense Mode.

Yugi drew.

"I switch my Turtle to Defense as well," he said. "And I also lay another Monster in Defense, face down."

He set the cards, and a silhouette flashed next to the Turtle.

Terone drew.

"Ah perfect!" he said. "Flame Cerberus, in Attack Mode!"

He set the card down, and a giant three-headed dog with a flaming mane appeared on the grid. It roared with all three mouths. (2,100/1,800)

Terone chuckled. "This beast is even more ferocious than old Fluffy was… if such a thing is possible! Flame Cerberus, attack the Catapult Turtle with triple flaming gout attack!"

The Monster breathed fire from its three jaws, incinerating the Catapult Turtle.

"Turtle soup, anyone?" said Terone.

Yugi looked at his hand.

Don't have anything yet that can take out that Monster, he thought.

He drew.

But this could thin out the playing field a little.

"I play the Spell Card Fissure!" he said. "Which wipes out your Ogre of the Black Shadow!"

The field rumbled, and the Ogre was blasted out of existence. Terone's Life Points fell to 1,175.

"A small inconvenience," said Terone, drawing. "Flame Cerberus, attack the Monster Yugi has in Defense Mode!"

The Cerberus blasted forth its flame. The Feral Imp appeared, and was burned to a cinder.

"Guess it was a little too hot for your imp to handle," said Terone. "I'll lay one card facedown too."

Yeah, yeah, keep cracking jokes, four-eyes, thought Yugi, making a draw.

"I summon Gaia the Fierce Knight!" he shouted, placing a card down. Gaia appeared on his mount, lances held high! (2,300/2,100)

"Attack the Flame Cerberus!" shouted Yugi. "Double lance attack!"

"Not so fast," said Terone. He flipped his facedown card and waved the wand. _"Expecto Patronum!"_

The three Waboku priests leapt up, halting Gaia.

"Expecto-what?" said Siegfried.

"A spell from the books," said Mary. "Used for defending yourself. Terone has likely memorized the whole series."

Yugi sighed. Man, this guy is nuts! he thought.

"Your move," he said.

Terone drew.

Yes! he thought. Mirror Force! This will teach Yugi…

"I'll just lay one card facedown," said Terone. "And that will be all."

Yugi gave him a stare. He drew.

"Sorry, Terone, but I'm not falling for that…" he said.

He put a card down. "Harpie's Feather Duster!"

The feather blew a burst of wind, and the mirror appeared in front of the Flame Cerberus before it shattered.

"I thought so," said Yugi. "Now, let's try this again. Gaia, attack the Cerberus!"

Gaia charged, and impaled the Flame Cerberus. It gasped, and burst into a flurry of flame. Terone's Life Points fell to 975.

Terone looked at Yugi hard. Yugi didn't like the look.

"Clever," said Terone. "But don't celebrate victory yet…"

He drew.

"When you go up against the Duelist of Hogwarts, surprises lurk around every corner…"

He picked a card from his hand.

"Each card has magical secrets waiting to be revealed…"

He laid a Monster facedown in Defense.

"Every move, a potential danger…"

He's trying to creep me out, said Yugi, but it won't work. Better men than him have tried that…

"Gaia," he said, "attack that facedown Monster!"

Gaia charged…

Then suddenly, a Morphing Jar appeared on the silhouette! It cackled before Gaia smashed it.

"A Morphing Jar!" said Yugi.

"A magical device of great power," said Terone. "You know the rules…"

Yugi and Terone discarded their hands, and Yugi hated doing so. He'd had his Thousand Knives and his own Mirror Force in that hand!

He drew five new cards, but now it was Terone's turn.

"Well," said Terone, "This is indeed a lucky draw. Prepare to face the horror of the Chamber of Secrets!"

Chamber of Secrets? thought Yugi. That place had a monster in it… some sort of…

Terone waved his wand. _"Serpesortia!" _he shouted, putting the card down. "Giant Spitting Cobra in Attack Mode!"

A hiss was heard, and a huge cobra appeared on the grid. (2,000/1,900)

It gazed at Gaia, and the Fierce Knight drew back.

"The Giant Spitting Cobra?!" said Siegfried. "I've got that in MY deck!"

"Really?" said Terone. "Then you probably know its power. This snake's gaze may not be as deadly as the Basilisk, but it causes such fear in its opponents, that their Attack score drops by 400 points!

It was only too true. Gaia's Attack score dropped to 1,900.

"Giant Spitting Cobra, vile venom spit attack!" commanded Terone. The snake spit forth a steam of venom, melting Gaia and his steed into a pile of sludge. Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,350.

Better defend, said Yugi.

"I'll play a Monster in Defense," said Yugi, putting a card down.

"Excellent," said Terone. "Now I can complete my combo."

He turned to Siegfried. "You may have this Monster in your deck, but I doubt you know all of its secrets…"

"Huh?" said Siegfried.

"Let me show you," said Terone. "I summon the Cobra's Keeper, in Defense Mode."

Slowly, a dark robed sorcerer appeared on the field. He wore an amulet shaped like a cobra, and was chanting a mantra that sounded like nothing less that a serpent hissing. The Giant Spiting Cobra turned to him and hissed in delight. (1,000/1,800)

"What the?" said Yugi.

"Like Tom Riddle," said Terone, "Harry's foe in _The Chamber of_ _Secrets_ who controlled the Basilisk, the Cobra's Keeper is a wizard who speaks Parseltongue."

"What?!" said Siegfried.

"The language of snakes," said Mary.

"Smart girl," said Terone. "And this particular snake is his favorite. And I'll have you know that my Cobra gains 500 Attack points for being on the field with his master!"

The Giant Spitting Cobra's Attack score went up to 2,500.

"And just in case you get any ideas about attacking the Keeper," said Terone, "I'm using this Spell Card, Yellow Luster Shield!"

He put it down.

"It will strengthen the Defense of both my Monsters by 300 points, making the Keeper all but untouchable!"

The Cobra's Defense score went up to 2,200, while the Keeper's went up to 2,100.

"Now, Giant Spitting Cobra, attack the Monster Yugi has in Defense!"

The Cobra spat its venom; the Beaver Warrior appeared and was destroyed.

"This doesn't look good guys," said Clive.

"I know," said Peter. "Still no sign of whatever Remi's trap is… what the heck is Jade doing? Meditating?"

Inside Jade's mind, she was trying hard to probe the room for signs of anything dangerous.

The first thing she did was search for mystical auras with evil origins. The only one she found was a taint coming from Terone himself, obviously something that Remi had done to him to coerce him to duel Yugi. But no magical effects at all were waiting to be sprung on anyone in the room.

She next moved to something harder… technology. This would be far more difficult, because her_ ki_ skills came from a source far more ancient than the technological wonders of the modern world. No self-respecting Samurai used modern weapons and tools to achieve the goals of the Samurai. The Daisho, the armor, and the self were all that the true Samurai needed. Playing Duel Monsters was a hobby, and she had taken that hobby only with her sensei's approval. (He somehow thought the structure of the game would help in mental discipline and strategy, after her mother had suggested it. Perhaps he knew as much about the Heart of the Cards as Yugi did.). Even so, she never liked relying on the huge computerized dueling stations.

Still, she could use her_ ki_ to search almost anything. She had already triple-checked the actual dueling station, but it appeared safe. She had moved onto the light fixtures and the security cameras (turned out they were nonfunctioning decoys, as most cameras in museums were, and she had wasted her time looking at them).

Slowly, she went deep, and started to look into the walls of the room itself. She started to search inch by inch.

How much longer could Yugi hold on? she thought.

Yugi made a draw.

"Okay, Terone," he said, "kid gloves are off. I summon the Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the Dark Magician materialized. (2,500/2,100)

Terone chuckled.

"You're a fool, Yugi," he said. "The Dark Magician may be one of your strongest Monsters – and I admire a sorcerer of such power – but even he cannot avoid my snake's gaze. See? His Attack score is already falling."

The Dark Magician's Attack score fell to 2,100.

"True," said Yugi. "But even weakened, the Dark Magician has powers that can let him overcome nearly any adversary."

He took a card from his hand.

"Now watch. I'm about to show you a feat of magic that would impress even Dumbledore! I play the Spell Card Mystical Box!"

He put the card down.

"Mystical Box?" said Terone.

"Watch carefully now," said Yugi. "First, a cabinet encloses my Dark Magician…"

Four walls arose from the floor, enclosing the Spellcaster in a tall box.

"And now a second one forms around your Giant Spitting Cobra!"

The snake hissed, as a second cabinet formed around it.

"Now, stage two…" said Yugi.

Thunder clapped, and a rain of swords fell from the heavens, skewering the Dark Magician's cabinet!

"What?!" said Terone. "You'd sacrifice your own Magician?"

"Just wait," said Yugi. "First, I remove the swords…"

The swords withdrew, and vanished.

"And now, the final stage…"

The second box opened, and the Dark Magician leapt out!

"What?!" said Terone.

"And as for your Cobra…" said Yugi.

The first box opened, and bloody pieces of the Giant Spitting Cobra fell out.

"Ta-Da!" said Yugi, as the Dark Magician took a bow. "Imagine if Harry knew _that_ trick when he fought the Basilisk! And with your snake gone, my Magician's Attack power returns to its original level."

The Dark Magician's Attack score went back up to 2,500. Terone's Life Points fell to 325.

"Now for your Cobra's Keeper," said Yugi. "This won't affect your Life Points, but he was getting on my nerves. Dark magic attack!"

The Dark Magician pointed his staff, and blew the Cobra's Keeper away.

Terone was visibly angry. He drew.

Then he smiled.

Terone stared Yugi in the face.

"You probably think I'm angry at your Dark Magician now," said Terone, "but I'm not, really. In fact, I've got a gift for him… courtesy of Professor Snape!"

"Professor Snape?" said Yugi. "The Hogwarts Potions Master?"

"You got it, Yugi," showing him a Spell Card.

Yugi's eyes opened wide.

"The Paralyzing Potion!" said Yugi.

"Uh huh," said Terone, putting it down. As he did, two spectral arms lifted up out of the floor and seized the Dark Magician! A bottle of green liquid appeared in the air.

"Let's see how your Dark Magician likes having it force-fed to him!" said Terone.

The Dark Magician struggled, but he couldn't get away. The bottle floated up to him and forced the liquid down his throat.

The arms released him, and the Dark Magician looked like he was going to throw up.

"What did you expect, pal, pumpkin juice?" said Terone. "And so long as that Equip card's spell is in effect, your Dark Magician is helpless to attack me or shift into Defense, while I implement my strategy.

"Case in point," he continued. "I'm using this Monster Reborn card to bring back an old friend…"

He placed it down, and the Serpent Night Dragon reappeared! (2,350/2,400)

"You may have paralyzed my Magician," said Yugi. "But that Dragon still hasn't got enough strength to take him down."

"We'll soon see," said Terone. "Your move."

Yugi drew.

The Shield of St. George, he thought, looking at the card. Terone likely plans to add an Equip card to that Dragon… but I can stop him with this…"

"Okay Terone, I'm putting this card facedown, and ending my turn," he said, placing the card.

"Sorry Yugi," said Terone. "But I know _exactly_ what that card is. So I'm getting rid of it with a little tool from the House of Gryffindor… Gryphon's Feather Duster!"

"_Gryphon's _Feather Duster?!" said Clive. "What the…?!"

A pair of eagle's wings appeared on the field, and blew a gust towards the Dark Magician; the Shield was smashed.

"A vast improvement over Harpie's Feather Duster," said Terone, "This version let's me destroy all Magic and Trap cards on my side of the field, or yours, and also grants me 500 Life Points for each!"

Terone's Life Points went up to 850. Yugi cringed.

"Now then," he continued. "I'm going to Equip my Serpent Night Dragon with this… Dragon Nails!"

The Serpent Night Dragon's claws grew to huge size, and its Attack went up to 2,950.

"Serpent Night Dragon," commanded Terone. "Attack the Dark Magician! Sonic Nightmare Blast!"

The Dragon blasted forth its attack, and the Dark Magician was vanquished.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,000.

"NO!" said Mary.

"I have you now," said Terone.

"It isn't over till the fat lady sings," said Yugi, drawing.

"Well, this card worked for you," he said. "Monster Reborn!"

He placed the card down, and the Dark Magician reappeared. (2,500/2,100)

"And since you destroyed him before," said Yugi, "he's no longer under the effect of your Potion."

"Big deal," said Terone, "I'll just kill him again."

"Think so?" said Yugi. "First I'll de-claw your Dragon with De-Spell!"

He put the card down, and the Dragon's enormous claws crumbled.

"Now I'll use my own Equip card," he continued. "Magic Formula!"

He put the card down, and a huge book appeared before the Dark Magician.

"You should admire someone who enjoys a good book," said Yugi, "and this one increases his Attack all the way up to 3,000!"

The Dark Magician closed the book and tucked it under his shoulder.

"Now, dark magic attack!" commanded Yugi.

The Dark Magician fired his bolt, and the Serpent Night Dragon was blown away. Terone's Life Points fell to 200.

"Yugi's winning," said Clive. "Now all we have to do is worry about Terone…"

"Whatever Jade is doing," said Peter, looking at her, "it had better work…"

"Your strongest Monster has been destroyed, Terone," said Yugi. "I don't think you can win now…"

"Whoever said he was my strongest Monster?" said Terone, softly.

"Huh?" said Yugi.

Terone drew.

"First I'm going to use the same trick you did," he said. He waved the wand. "_Expelliarmus!_ I invoke the Spell Card De-Spell!"

He put it down, and the Magic Formula book disappeared. The Dark Magician's Attack points fell down to 2,500.

"Now I'll lay a Monster facedown in Defense," he said. "And that will be all."

"You're stalling," said Yugi. "And I'm not falling for it. Dark Magician, attack that facedown card!"

The Dark Magician cast his spell… a female Spellcaster carrying a staff appeared, screamed, and vanished.

"The Magician of Faith?!" said Yugi.

"You got it," said Terone. "Such a pity I had to sacrifice her, but she will be remembered…"

He reached for his discard pile…

"For the card she now lets me retrieve will be your undoing. But rather than play it now, I'll let you sweat about it for awhile."

Yugi thought as he drew.

If he has something stronger than that Serpent Night Dragon, this could be dangerous, he thought. So just in case…

"I'll put one card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

Terone drew.

Ah… he thought. The card that the Heir gave me… time to shake things up…

"Well, Yugi," he said, "This certainly has been a great duel… but I'm afraid it comes to a close now…"

He put the card down, and a frightening rumbling was heard…

"Presenting, for our audience's viewing pleasure…" said Terone.

An explosion rocked the whole room, and an enormous shape burst onto Terone's side of the grid!

He shouted, "_Hungarian Horntail, the Fierce Dragon!!_"

Yugi had never seen anything like it. This huge Dragon resembled a lizard in general outline, but had glossy black scales. It had piercing yellow eyes, fiendish bronze horns, and similar spiky outcroppings tipping its long tail. Steam poured from its nostrils as it fixed its eyes on the Dark Magician.

(3,400/1800)

"Holy…" said Clive.

"There's nothing 'holy' about this, Clive!" said Peter. "What in the name of Ra is that thing?!"

"I don't know!" said Siegfried. "I've dueled all my life in Asia, America, and Europe, and I have_ never _even heard a _mention_ of this thing!"

"Wait…" said Mary. "Wait…

"Last year I read an article in a magazine…"

"Go on…" said Clive.

"In 2007, Maximillion Pegasus's company, Industrial Illusions, decided to start a Duel Monsters project which was originally called 'Icons of Popular Culture.' They would release a limited number of promotional Monster Cards, each of them in the image of a famous hero, villain, or creature from popular movies, novels, and video games.

"Yes, I remember now. Some of the proposed cards included Darth Maul from _Star Wars: The Phantom Menace_; Link from the _Legend of Zelda_ video game series; and this creature from the Harry Potter books.

"However, the project was cancelled midway through production and the cards were never made. It was rumored that the only ones to survive were the original prototypes!

"Guys… this card that Terone has must be the legendary prototype… the _only_ Hungarian Horntail in the world!"

Yugi sighed. "Remi's Rare Hunters strike again…" he mumbled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You are so insightful, Yugi," said Remi, who was watching the proceedings with Void by his side. "I want to thank you again Void, for getting me that card. The previous owner must have put up quite a struggle."

"Well, we'll have to thank him too," said Void, "if he ever gets out of the coma…"

Remi chuckled.

"So, Yugi, what are you gonna do?" he said. "Best say your prayers… you only have a few more rounds to live…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Amazing, isn't he," said Terone. "The Ministry of Magic classifies this beast as a known killer of wizards… something your Dark Magician will soon find out. Hungarian Horntail, searing stream of fury attack!"

The Horntail lifted its head and blasted a great stream of flames at the Dark Magician. Yugi quickly flipped his facedown card over, and the flames were blocked, as a dome of energy covered the Dark Magician!

"Huh?" said Terone. "Oh, I see. Your Negate Attack Trap. Clever. But that Trap only protects him for one round…"

At that point, Jade's eyes opened.

"Mary," she asked. "Do the characters in the Harry Potter books use crossbows very often?"

"Uh…" said Mary. "Hagrid might have used one once or twice, but the students at Hogwarts aren't usually warriors. Why do you ask?"

"Look around," said Jade. "The walls. At the center point of each wall is a fancy sword – clearly they are props. But there are no less than twenty crossbows hanging from the walls. And they are not fancy ones that would be admired in a museum exhibit."

"Yeah…" said Mary. "They seem out of place for this particular exhibit… wait…"

Mary looked closer.

"Jade!" she whispered. "The back ends of those weapons… they have some sort of hinge or joint connecting them to the walls! And their tips… there are small glass lenses just under the bolts!"

"Yes," said Jade. "Robotic arms and laser sights! I'd bet my Daisho that when one of them wins, those crossbows will take aim and fire at the loser!"

"So what do we do?" said Mary.

Jade drew her sword. "No time to find the shutoff switch," she said. "Have to take them out the old fashioned way!"

She leapt up towards the east wall, and brought her sword down on one crossbow, smashing it.

One down, she thought. She leapt up and cleaved through the second.

Good job Jade, thought Yugi, selecting a card. Keep it up…

"I don't know why your friend turned so destructive, Yugi," said Terone, "but you're going to have to move eventually. And face it, your Dark Magician has nowhere left to hide!"

"Want to bet?" said Yugi, putting a card down. "Magical Hats! Conceal and protect the Dark Magician!"

The huge top hat covered the Dark Magician, and it turned into four.

"This isn't any Sorting Hat, Terone," said Yugi. "It makes YOU sort them out! My Magician is under one of them; which one, only I know. Now make your move."

Of course, thought Yugi. This won't stall him forever…

At that point, the Spirit of the Puzzle spoke up.

"We can still beat him Yugi," he said, "but we need to stall him further. We have one card we need on the field, and another in our hand, but two more are necessary. We'll need to draw them, and I don't know if our luck will hold out that long."

"We have to try," said Yugi.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"NOOO!!" howled Remi, as Jade tore down the fourth crossbow. "That green minx will ruin everything!

"Well, I can stop this… One blast of my Millennium Rod, and she'll be my slave again!"

He aimed at his viewing portal, and the Rod glowed like fire.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jade had taken down all the crossbows on the east wall, and head for the north. Behind where Terone was, when suddenly, a familiar force started to claw into her mind.

She dropped her sword.

"No…" she said. Holding her head.

"No, not this time Remi," she said. "You will not take me again!!"

She focused stronger than she ever had before, calling ever ounce of her mental strength to the forefront. In her mind, she saw Remi before her. In her mind, she lifted her blade, and through agonizing pain, she ran him through!

In his Castle, Remi dropped his Rod and fell to floor stunned.

Jade had never experienced such a headache. But she couldn't stop now. She grabber her sword and continued around the wall, smashing the mechanical crossbows, one after another.

"All right," said Terone. "Before I take a try at this, it's time for a slight adjustment. I'm using the Spell Card that the Magician of Faith let me retrieve from the Graveyard – Dragon Nails!"

He placed the card down, and the claws of the Hungarian Horntail grew to the size of swords. Its Attack power was now 4,000!

"Do the math Yugi," said Remi. "If this attack hits, you lose! Hungarian Horntail, attack the hat on the far left! Searing stream of fury!"

The Dragon blasted forth its flames, and the hat exploded in a thunderous burst! The smoke cleared…

"Sorry, pal," said Yugi. "That one was empty."

Terone cringed.

Yugi drew.

Nuts, he thought. Not the card I need. This isn't helping…

"I'll pass," he said. "Try again if you will…"

"Fine," said Terone. "Horntail, attack the left… no the middle… no, left… aw, just surprise me!"

The Horntail attacked, and the middle hat exploded. The smoke cleared… but Yugi's life points were still intact.

"Knew I should have gone with the left," said Terone.

Yugi drew.

Well, this isn't what I need either, he thought, but it will buy me more time.

"Here's my move," he said. "Swords of Revealing Light!"

"What?!" said Terone.

A series of long, blazing swords surrounded the Hungarian Horntail.

"These swords may not be as powerful as _Godric Gryffindor_, said Yugi, "but they are useful. They keep your Dragon and any other creature you summon from attacking for three full turns."

"You're only delaying the inevitable," said Terone. "But, seeing as I can't attack you, I'll just draw and that will be all for me."

Jade landed back where the others were watching. "There," she said. "I got them all. Yugi and Terone are out of danger now."

"Good," said Mary. "Now we can only see how this turns out."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the meantime, Remi was picking himself up off the floor, with Void's help.

He looked at his viewing screen. And then he chuckled.

And then he laughed out loud.

"Jade, Jade, Jade," he said. "You… FOOL!! You have absolutely no idea the big mistake you made! You destroyed nearly all of them, but you missed one… and now you have no idea, that the one you missed, the one that will plant a bolt right in the skull of the loser…

"Is hanging in plain sight, not even four feet above where you're standing right now…"

In the meantime, Remi was picking himself up off the floor, with Void's help.

He looked at his viewing screen. And then he chuckled.

And then he laughed out loud.

"Jade, Jade, Jade," he said. "You… FOOL!! You have absolutely no idea the big mistake you made! You destroyed nearly all of them, but you missed one… and now you have no idea, that the one you missed, the one that will plant a bolt right in the skull of the loser…

"Is hanging in plain sight, not even four feet above where you're standing right now…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi spoke into his mind again.

"You know," he said to his partner, "with the danger gone, we _could_ just let Terone win…"

"Too dangerous," said the Spirit. "If Terone wins, Remi might enslave his mind forever. We must do our best to save him from that fate."

"Okay," said Yugi. "Here goes."

He drew.

Okay, good, he thought. One down.

He took the card and placed it down.

"I'm putting a card facedown," he said. "And that will do it for me."

"Fine," said Terone. "I'll just draw again and pass again. One round to go, and then your Magician has had it."

We'll see, said Yugi, reaching for his deck. He drew.

No! he thought. Not what I need.

Only one round to draw it left, and then he'll have a fifty-fifty shot at my Magician. I don't like those odds.

He took a card from his hand.

"I'm putting another card facedown," he said. "And that's my turn."

Yugi is planning something, thought Terone. Could one of those cards be a Spellbinding Circle? He's already used both his Mirror Force and his Shield of St. George.

He drew.

The Remove Trap card! he thought. Well, even if he snares my Horntail, he can't destroy it, and this will let it break free before the round is over!

"Okay, Yugi, that's my turn," he said, as the Swords started to fade. "Your move, and after that, I've got a 4,000 point attack aimed right at you!"

Yugi slowly reached for his deck. He drew.

He looked at his card.

"There is no next turn for you, Terone." he said. "The last chapter of this book is about to be written."

"What do you mean?!" said Terone.

"Dark Magician," said Yugi. "Emerge from the safety of the Magical Hats!"

The Dark Magician leapt out of the left hat, and landed to face the Dragon.

Is he mad? thought Terone.

"Now, I summon the Buster Blader!" shouted Yugi.

He threw the card down, and the purple armored warrior leapt into view, holding his enormous blade. The numbers 2,600 over 2,300 appeared.

The Dark Magician and the Buster Blader looked at each other.

"What good will THAT do you?" said Terone.

"I'll show you with this Spell Card," said Yugi, lifting it up.

"A Polymerization card?!" said Terone.

"Exactly," said Yugi, putting it down. "With which I combine the allied forces of the Dark Magician and the Buster Blader into one…"

The Spellcaster and the Warrior gave each other a thumbs-up sign, and both leapt up above the grid. They formed into two auras of light, which fused together.

"Forming a true legend of wizardry the likes of which few ever see!" cried Yugi.

A form leapt onto the grid, and from out of the clearing smoke stepped Dark Paladin, the Ultimate Magical Swordsman! (2,900/2,400)

"Whoa," said Jade. "Yugi used him against me in the Duelist Labyrinth finals!"

"How can that…" started Terone.

"The Dark Paladin gains 500 points to his Attack Score for every Dragon on your side of the field, and in your Graveyard," said Yugi. "And you have now used two."

The Dark Paladin's score went up to 3,900.

Terone made a slight smile.

"A little error in the math, Yugi!" he said. "That creature is powerful, I'll tell you that, but his Attack score is still a paltry one hundred points too low to overcome my Hungarian Horntail! Imagine! One hundred and one points more, and you might have done it!"

Then Yugi lifted up his second facedown card.

"Forgot about this, didja?" said Yugi. "It's an Equip called Black Pendant!"

He put the card down. Terone watches as the amulet lowered over the Dark Paladin's head, and his Attack score went up to 4,300!

Terone was speechless.

"Dark Paladin," shouted Yugi, "dark blade of fury attack!"

The Dark Paladin leapt into the air, and brought his sword down on the enormous Hungarian Horntail! There was an explosion that seemed to fill the whole room, and when the smoke cleared, only the Dark Paladin remained.

Terone's Life Points fell to zero. "My Horntail…" he said, "…beaten…"

"Phew!" said Mary, Peter, and Clive.

Jade's head was still pounding after Remi's attack. And yet, sound came to Jade's overly acute ears…

"No!" she said, spinning around. The crossbow was quickly taking aim!

"Jade!" shouted Mary. "You missed one!"

In the next split second, the bolt fired. The whole world seemed to slow for the next second.

The bolt was fast, but Jade's mind was faster, as were her reflexes. She threw her hand into a special pouch attached to her armor, and pulled out two small shuriken (throwing stars).

She had less than a fraction of a second to aim correctly for a projectile that was moving nearly as fast as a bullet. She threw the small weapons, and an inch from Terone's face, the shuriken connected, shattering the wooden bolt into shards.

Terone, of course, had seen it coming. And he reacted as most would. He fainted.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He woke up on the floor of the exhibit room. The first thing he saw was Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, glowing brightly.

"Will he be alright?" said Mary.

"I think so," said Yugi. "The Puzzle has flushed all the evil magic that Remi put into him; I wish I could have done it sooner, but I had to defeat him first."

"Remi…" said Terone. "Who…?"

"The Heir of Marik?" said Yugi. "It's his real name… well, not his real name, probably, but another name he uses."

"But he seemed so friendly," said Terone, sitting up. "He…"

"He's a monster, Terone," said Yugi. "A fiend comparable to Lord Voldemort, a character I'm sure you are quite familiar with."

"He did tell me to call him 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'," said Terone. "I thought it was a joke…"

"It was no joke," said Jade. "He used evil magic to turn your small resentment into blind rage, and turn your dreams into mad delusions. He has imprisoned this entire city, and has tried to slay us numerous times."

Terone sat up. "Wait… this is all a bit intense."

And so, they began at the beginning, from the time where Remi had cast his dark ritual which had cut New York off from the rest of the world, sealing the residents in a dimensional prison, and forcing them all into duels designed to kill them; exactly why, they did not know.

Terone was frightened after this, so they thought it best to walk him back to his apartment, which was fortunately located only about ten blocks away.

"Keep the doors double locked," said Yugi. "Keep the windows covered. Do not open the doors for anyone. Do not answer the phone. Only leave if you need food, and return as soon as possible – if you have a firearm in there, take it with you when you leave, and you might want to keep it near you."

"What if you guys come back?" he said.

Yugi thought for a moment. His Puzzle did a quick scan of the area.

He didn't sense Remi's presence anywhere. Remi might have thought that Yugi didn't know he was watching their duels, but Yugi had learned to detect his scrying soon after the duel with Big Ben. Now he did not believe his foe was watching. So this was probably safe.

"Only open the door if someone says the password 'Death to Marik.' Even if Remi somehow captures one of us and forces the password from us, none of his henchmen will ever dare say it."

"Don't try to help us," said Jade. "We will be better off handling this crisis alone."

"Thank you Yugi," said Terone. He shut the door.

Inside, he collapsed on a chair, wondering what would become of him.

Still, he thought, if I survive this, I hope I get a chance to duel Yugi again…

He looked at the card in his hand. Hungarian Horntail the Fierce Dragon.

And who knows? Maybe I'll do better next time.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunately for Terone, Yugi was correct. Remi had NOT been watching. Ever since they left the museum, he'd be replaying the whole scene. He saw Jade destroy his crossbows; he saw her knock the bolt out of the air; his head still hurt from the backlash from when she threw his spell right back at him.

"No doubt about it," he said. "Jade must be disposed of. She is nearly more of a threat than Yugi is… And I dare not try to use the Rod on her again…"

He pushed a button on his console. "Send me Lady Circe," he said.

He paced for about a minute, and then two soft hands wearing velvet gloves covered his eyes.

"Guess who?!" said a sweet voice.

Remi removed the hands from his face. "I'm in no mood for games, Circe," he said.

He turned to her. She was a beautiful woman with flowing blonde hair and big green eyes, dressed in an expensive purple dress and lots of priceless jewelry. She wore a gold amulet with the Roman numeral II.

"Pack up, Circe," he said. "I'm sending you out of state. I need you to get someone from Beverly Hills."

"Beverly Hills?" she said. "Ah, the glamour capital of the world…"

"I'm afraid you won't have time for sightseeing," said Remi. "Now here's the info, and I'm only going to explain it once…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**COBRA'S KEEPER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description: **Increase the ATK of all "Giant Spitting Cobra"(s) by 500. You can only control one "Cobra's Keeper".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HUNGARIAN HORNTAIL, THE FIERCE DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,400  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Flavor Text: **_A Monster specially created in honor of the great author J.K. Rowling, this Dragon's power rivals even that of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon._


	14. Dirty Little Secret

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dirty Little Secret**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Beverly Hills.

1 PM, the following day.

At a luxurious estate (small compared to most of them, but nonetheless luxurious), a courtyard was set up, where a large, sparkling swimming pool was surrounded by lush tropical plants of all varieties.

Sunning herself by the side of a pool was a young woman, only seventeen years old, wearing a string bikini and expensive sunglasses. Her hair was blonde and worn lose, and her figure and face were as lovely as any supermodel.

One knows the saying… Beauty is only skin-deep.

She put away the magazine that she was reading and turned on the television on the patio table next to her.

"Again we repeat the top story," said the news reporter. "The military's latest effort to break though the mysterious dome holding the city of New York hostage proved completely ineffective. Sources say…"

"Ugh!" she said, turning it off. "You've been repeating it all week. We know already! There hasn't been anything good on TV since this dumb thing started!"

She reclined back, feeling very upset. Not being able to watch her soaps and sitcoms always upset her.

"Who cares about New York City anyway?" she said out loud. "It's dirty, cold, and has an unpleasant odor hanging over it! Let it rot for all I care…"

A servant came up with a glass of iced tea. She took it.

"That will be all James," she said. "I'll call you if I need you."

"Yes ma'am," said the servant.

He walked out of the courtyard and towards the living room. He had other jobs he had to tend to.

Then a shape appeared in front of him. He stopped short.

Lady Circe stepped out of the shadows.

"I'm here to see Amber," she said.

James cleared his throat.

"Do you have an appointment?" he said, knowing well that she didn't.

"I prefer not to go through such trouble," said Circe. "But I am certain that Amber will want to see me… it is sure to interest her."

"I'm afraid my mistress will not see anyone who comes uninvited," said James, with a sneer. "And just how did you get past the security system, anyway?"

"I don't explain myself to commoners," said Circe. "Now move aside, I'm on a schedule."

She moved forward. James raised his arms.

"I warn you miss, I know karate…" he said.

"And I know how to do this…" said Circe.

She gestured at James, and he clutched his chest with a scream. He fell to the ground, and started to writhe… and shrink.

In a moment, James was gone. In his place was a small white rat who was staring up at Circe in fear.

"Bit of advice," said Circe. "Your mistress's cat is in the kitchen right now. Don't go there."

The rat squeaked and fled from her. Circe proceeded to the courtyard.

"I said that would be all James," said the girl, as Circe approached.

Then she looked up. "What?" she said. "Who the Hell are you? Where's James?! James!"

"Don't worry about your butler, Amber," said Circe. "I've given him a break for a few minutes while we chat. I'll bring him back later… assuming your cat doesn't find him."

"My cat?" said Amber. "What do you mean? Who are you?"

"Who am I?" said Circe. "Oh, someone like you Amber… a woman who enjoys the finer things in life. And you certainly have a lot of the finer things. Look at you, just out of high school, and you have almost everything you want… luxury, wealth, pampering… a practical army of gorgeous male suitors who'd sell their souls for one date with you…"

"Laughable," said Amber. "All beauty and no brains. The only joy I get out of them is tearing their hearts to little pieces…"

"A mean streak, nice," said Circe. "But there is one thing you want more than anything else in this world, but it is something you cannot have…"

She slapped her hand down on the patio table.

"Well Amber, if you want it enough, I can help you get it…"

"What could you possibly offer me," said Amber, "that I don't already have?"

Circe took from her dress a small photograph. She showed it to her and Amber's eyes opened wide.

Then they narrowed.

"Talk to me," said Amber. "Uh, can I get you a drink?"

"Certainly," said Circe. "Oh, better get your butler for that…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

While Circe was doing this, her boss was occupied with a very different task.

He was weak, just as he was every few days. He staggered to a secret place in his Castle of Dark Illusions, and opened a secret door, one whose existence was known only to a very select few.

He began a long descent, down a secret staircase down into the dark bowels of his Castle, down an uneven broken staircase. Every step took effort. He finally came to a large dark door, on which was a symbol – an evil-looking snake.

"Note to self," he said. "Install more elevators."

He placed his hand to the symbol. "May the Lord of The Twelve Hours of Night reign supreme," he said.

The door opened.

He entered a dark chamber, lit by purple torches. A statue hewn of stone depicting a man with a bestial face occupied the center of the room. Chains hung from the statue's arms and dangled from its legs… in the right positions to hold a man spread-eagle.

"Skackle!" Remi said. "Skackle, are you here? Can you hear me?!"

"Of course I can hear you," said a voice that sounded like a man with bees in his throat. "Your hollering could wake the dead."

A man came into view. He was about fifty years old, and wasn't a pretty sight. All of his exposed skin was covered with scars and scabs. His hair was pure white and seemed to have not seen a comb in ages. He was dressed in a leather jerkin and wool jacket.

"I need it done again, Skackle," said Remi, handing the Rod to him. "I'm burning up inside."

"Again?" said Skackle. "This isn't good, Remi. It used to be that you'd only need me to do this every two months. Now you can't go five days without it. Pretty soon, this is going to do you in."

Remi winced. Skackle was the only one of his servants who dared talk to him in such a tone, and there was a good reason for that… Remi needed him too much to threaten or punish. He removed his shirt.

"I'll only need it done for a little longer," said Remi. "Once my plans are complete, the Master will eliminate its need entirely. Until then, you must…"

"I _must_ do _nothing_," said Skackle. He chained Remi's left arm to the statue. "You know your Rod can do nothing to harm me. I only help you, Remi, because I choose to do so."

He finished chaining Remi to the statue.

"Just do it okay?" said Remi. He didn't like what Skackle was about to do – in fact he hated these "appointments" – but he could not avoid them.

Skackle drew the hidden dagger out of the Millennium Rod.

"Fine," said Skackle. "But sometimes even I wonder why you would not prefer dying to the torture you put yourself through for a plan that might end in failure anyway. Yugi and his disciples can not be kept away from this Castle forever…"

"Just do it, okay?" repeated Remi.

"Fine," said Skackle. "I cut the man, I bleed the Heir… I cut the Heir, I bleed the man…"

He paused.

"But Remi, I can only bleed so much. And when the blood is gone, the man is gone…"

He raised the dagger high.

"… and only the Heir will remain…"

A scream of agony echoed through the entire Castle.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several hours later, Yugi and his friends were sitting on a street corner in midtown Manhattan.

Peter took his deck out and went over it card by card. He wondered just when Remi was going to plant a trap with his name on it next. He wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

Jade, wearing her helmet and holding her hand on the hilt of her sword, stood under an awning. Slowly, a drop of dew slipped down it and dropped towards the pavement. In a flash, Jade drew out her sword, slashed through the drop, and re-sheathed it. Mary guessed it helped her think, but it was making her nervous.

Having little else to do, Yugi was silently conversing with his spiritual partner. They had gone over at least a hundred theories as to what Remi was up to – world domination seemed most likely, but there were other possibilities.

"There's one thing I don't get," said Yugi to the Spirit. "How could an Heir of Marik even exist?"

"I know what you mean," said the Spirit. "Marik was a fiend, but he didn't start out that way; he fell into evil after succumbing to an evil force from the Rod. Your father knew that goodness still existed within Marik… and eventually, he was able to cure him… he and your father became friends, and Marik threw the accursed Rod away. We had all thought we'd seen the last of it."

"I know," said Yugi. "I even met the man once or twice… when I was young. And I really don't believe he had any children. Marik was 'cured' as you say, before Remi was even born… I think. So how could the evil Marik have taken him as an heir? It doesn't make sense.

"Of course, I don't really know where Marik himself is now… he and Dad haven't seen each other in years… Marik could have recovered the Rod and succumbed to it again? But then, why wouldn't he have tried to attack my father himself? And if Marik ever did return to his old ways, why would he give anyone else his Rod? Unless…"

"Unless…" said the Spirit, "an even greater force of evil killed him and took it…"

Yugi shuddered.

"Is Remi going to make us wait all day?" said Siegfried.

"What, you anxious to go into mortal combat with one of his goons?" said Clive.

He sighed.

"That's what I'm worried about. Which one of us he's going to take aim at next…"

As if to answer, a large purple bird flew down. It was carrying an envelope in its beak.

Yugi leapt up. He recognized that bird…

Yata-Garasu. A Monster who's deadly "lock" meant certain defeat for many duelists…

The Yata spit out the envelope and vanished into thin air.

"Yugi, was that a…" said Mary.

"Yeah," said Yugi. "I'm pretty sure it was. Remi is trying to creep us out."

He took the envelope, and read aloud:

_Where monsters lurk, both fierce and nice,_

_Near a Christmas tree and lake of ice,_

_You'll find a task with deadly spice._

"Any ideas guys?" said Mary.

They all thought.

"It is the middle of summer," said Jade. "There are no Christmas trees in the city…"

"No," said Peter. "But in the winter, Rockefeller Center has a huge one, right next to their ice skating rink… a 'lake of ice'!"

"But 'Where monsters lurk, both fierce and nice'?" said Siegfried.

They all thought.

"I got it!" said Mary. The Rockefeller Center houses the NYC Pokemon Center! 'Pokemon' is Japanese for 'pocket monsters'! And as anyone who knows that game knows, some Pokemon are fierce, while others are nice!"

"Bingo," said Yugi. "Let's go."

As they left, one thought went through Yugi's mind…

Putting a deathtrap in a toy store? You are one twisted sickster, Remi…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they entered the Pokemon Center, they found themselves surrounded by stuffed animals, action figures, and toys of all description. Yugi was right. This was NOT the right place to hold a fight to the death. This place was often filled with innocent kindergartners and other children, many of whom held their birthday parties here. But now, due to Remi, they would likely be forced to befoul the childhood setting by getting blood on the floor.

Remi would pay. He promised himself that, as his Puzzle sprung to life.

"We're here!" he said. "Show yourself, whoever you are!"

"Second floor, people," said a feminine voice that seemed strangely familiar to all of them. "Step right up…"

"That voice…" whispered Jade. "It can't…"

Jade took off her helmet, and ran up the stairs to the second floor, three at a time. Her friends ran up behind her.

They came up behind, arriving on the third floor where events were held and expensive merchandise was kept.

A dueling station was set up in the center of the floor, and Jade was staring bewildered at the young girl at the helm.

The resemblance between the two was uncanny. Practically the only difference was, where Jade was wearing armor, the girl at the station was wearing a halter and a mini-skirt.

"Amber…" said Jade.

And then Jade's expression turned into hate.

"Hello little sister," said Amber. "So glad you could make it."

"SISTER?!" said all five of Jade's friends at once.

"Jade," said Mary, "why didn't you ever…"

"…tell you?!" snarled Jade. "Would you tell me _your_ dirty little secrets?!"

"I really hate it when you call me that," said Amber.

"This brat is a disgrace upon my family name!" said Jade. "She's been spoiled rotten ever since she was born. Whenever she wanted something, from when she was three years old to NOW, she did nothing but whine until she got it. She's been sponging and stealing off our parents for years."

She turned to Amber. "The Samurai have words for people like you, Amber, none of which I care to say out loud…"

"Spare me your stupid booshidudu nonsense, Jade," said Amber. "I'll have you know…"

"It's pronounced _bushido_ you spoiled brat!" said Jade, in a rage. And if not for the fact that I respect it, I would disembowel you right now! The Code of the Samurai is a far greater force than any worthless toy you will ever own!"

"Really," said Amber, "well, if your code is so powerful, step up here and prove it, unless you're a coward!"

"I'm not afraid of you," said Jade. "And believe me, now that you have sided with Remi, you leave me no choice…"

She stepped up to the dueling station, and it lifted her into position.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Clive.

"You call all possessions worthless," said Amber. "But when this duel is over, I'll have the possession I've wanted for years…

"Namely, _you._"

Jade glared at her.

Amber pointed to the ceiling, where something was slowly lowering. It looked like a small, antique oil lamp, like the one Aladdin had. It stopped about fifteen feet above the dueling station.

"Want to know why Remi chose to hold this duel in the Pokemon Center?" said Amber, taking out a deck. "I'll explain the rules of this duel. See that lamp? It's a very powerful ancient magical artifact called a Lamp of Obedience."

Yugi flinched. A memory deep within him came to the forefront…

"Anyway," continued Amber. "The Lamp of Obedience has the power to capture a living being inside it… and the lamp's prisoner becomes the complete slave to the lamp's owner.

"You're probably already guessing how this duel will work… the lamp has been enchanted to capture the loser of this duel, and then deliver itself to the hands of the winner! Once I win, you'll know what a Pokemon feels like… and you'll be mine to command forever, my ultimate prize!

"And by the way, if you try to run for it, you automatically lose and the lamp will get you anyway…"

"I'll never run from you Amber," said Jade. "And are you willing to take such a risk? You've _never_ been able to beat me in a fair game of Duel Monsters."

"Too late to turn back now," said Amber. "And I've gotten a lot better since last time."

"Be careful Jade!" said Clive. "There's no telling what cards Remi's Rare Hunters have given her!"

Heh, heh, thought Amber. Not only that, dear sister, I have no intention of playing a _fair_ duel. You have no idea the danger you are now in.

What you don't know is, ten feet behind you is a camera, with which one of Remi's servants will be able to see every card you draw, and anything you place facedown. He can communicate that info to me via a receiver I have in my ear, no bigger than a small hearing aid, hidden under my hair.

And with the cards in my deck that Remi supplied, I'd say that means I have more than a good chance of defeating you…

"So then Jade," she said. "Prepare yourself and…"

"DUEL!!" they both said.

"You go first," said Amber, as the machine sprung to life.

They drew.

The message came clear to Amber's receiver.

Oh, nice cards, thought Amber. Let's see what you do with them…

"I play a Monster facedown," said Jade. "And I'll also play this card facedown."

She placed the cards, and the outlines appeared on the field.

"Ooh, sneaky," said Amber.

"Just move!" said Jade.

Heh, heh, thought Amber. Can't hide from me, Jade. The cards you just placed down were Sonic Maid and Horn of the Unicorn. Obviously you intend to surprise me next turn with a combo, even if I destroy the maid on my turn. But I'll give you my own surprise…

"I play a facedown card just like you," she said. "And I'll put the Cure Mermaid in Attack Mode!"

She put the cards down, and a beautiful mermaid appeared on the field. (1,500/800)

"And by the way, during each of my Standby Phases while she's on the field, she will raise my Life Points by 800," said Amber.

Darn, thought Jade. She has a facedown card, but I have to try to get rid of that Mermaid…

"I switch the Sonic Maid to Attack Mode!" she said, flipping her card over. A woman in a pink robe appeared, carrying a scythe shaped like a musical note. (1,200/900)

"And I Equip her with my facedown card, the Horn of the Unicorn!"

She flipped the card, and a large horn appeared on the Sonic Maid's forehead. Her scythe glowed, and her Attack was raised to 1,900.

"Ooh," said Amber. "Looks like we have a catfight here!"

"One that you lose," said Jade. "Attack! Sonic scythe attack!"

The Sonic Maid rushed forward.

"Oh?" said Amber. "Activate Trap! Tears of the Mermaid!"

"What?" said Jade.

The Cure Mermaid laughed, and a spray of bubbles shot forth from her eyes. The Sonic Maid stopped dead in her tracks.

"My Mermaid's tears halt your Maid's attack, and destroy her Horn," said Amber. "Weren't expecting that, were you?"

The Sonic Maid's Attack went back down to 1,200.

"How'd she know…" said Mary.

"My turn now," said Amber. "And as you can see, my Life Points are rising…"

Amber's Life Points went up to 2,800.

"… while yours are about to go down. Cure Mermaid, scream of the siren attack!"

The Cure Mermaid let out a cry of piercing music, and the Sonic Maid was obliterated. Jade's Life Points went down to 1,700.

And seeing as the other monsters you have in your hand could easily overcome my Mermaid, and I can't stop you yet… she thought.

"I'll finish my move by switching the Cure Mermaid into Defense Mode," she continued.

"Your move," said Amber, chuckling.

Jade looked at her. And then she drew. She looked at the card.

Okay, thought Jade, listening to the receiver. That card is… Fairy Meteor Crush? What the heck is that? Hmph, probably something to fight Fairies with. Oh well…

"Here's my move, sister," said Jade. "I'm playing the Beautiful Headhuntress, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the kimono-dressed woman with the executioner's cleaver appeared. (1,600/800)

"Think she scares me?" said Amber.

"She will in a minute," said Jade, "Because I'm equipping her with Fairy Meteor Crush!"

"What?!" said Amber. "Why did you… I mean, what does that do?"

Jade put the Equip card down, and the Beautiful Headhuntress's eyes started to blaze like fire.

"With this Equip card," said Jade, "A Monster can attack your Defense position Monster, and still do damage to your Life Points, the total lost being the difference between your Mermaid's weak Defense score and my Headhuntress's strong attack score!"

"No!" said Amber.

"Beautiful Headhuntress, decapitating blade attack!" shouted Jade.

The Cure Mermaid gave a cry as the Headhuntress grabbed her and held her down. With a quick stroke, the Mermaid was beheaded. Amber's Life Points fell to 2,000.

"Can't believe it," said Peter. "Jade's Beautiful Headhuntress finally did something right!"

Amber was visibly upset.

"And to end my move," said Jade. "I'll place one card facedown."

Amber listened.

What? she thought. Dying Breath? I've never heard of that card either!

She drew.

No matter. I can take out that creature.

"I summon the Harpie Lady, in Attack Mode!" she said, laying a card down. The taloned Winged Beast appeared. (1,300/1,400)

She glared at Jade.

"And I'll use her favorite Equip card… Cyber Bondage!"

She lay the Equip card down, and a suit of golden armor appeared on the Harpie Lady. Her Attack went up to 1,800.

"Clever," said Jade. "Did you get those cards yourself, or did you take them from Mom, just like you've taken everything else from her?"

"Not gonna matter much to you soon," said Amber. "Harpie Lady, attack the Headhuntress with Cyber Slash attack!"

The Harpie Lady dived forward and took a swipe at the Beautiful Headhuntress. Jade's Warrior fell down in a pool of blood…

Jade's Life Points went down to 1,500.

But then, the Beautiful Headhuntress lifted her head in hate, and screamed at Amber. Then she collapsed and vanished.

"Well, that was… bizarre…" said Amber.

"More than you think," said Jade. "I activated my Trap… Dying Breath! You made a big mistake, sister!"

Amber turned pale.

"Dying Breath can be activated only when one of my Monsters is destroyed in battle by one of yours. I now have to remove the Beautiful Headhuntress from play, but now you lose half of your Life Points!"

Amber gasped as her Life Points fell to 1,000.

"In a sense," said Jade, "my Headhuntress cursed you, Amber, with her dying breath!"

Amber was red with fury now.

"My turn," said Jade, drawing.

Amber paused, and then a look of fright came over her.

Jade gave her a strange look, and then put a card down.

"I play Seiyaryu in Attack Mode!" said Jade. The field erupted in a large purple light, and a huge, purple, insect-like Dragon appeared on Jade's side of the Field! (2,500/2,300)

"Whoa!" said Mary. "Looks like Jade's become more accustomed to Dragons since the Labyrinth."

"And look at that thing," said Siegfried. "It's just as strong as your Dark Magician Yugi! Better watch out if you ever duel Jade again!"

"Shush!" said Yugi. He was clearly more worried about this duel than his comrades were.

"Attack Harpie Lady," said Jade. "Flaming rage attack!"

The Dragon breathed a gout of flame, and blasted the Harpie Lady away. Amber's Life Points fell to 300.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his Castle of Dark Illusions, Remi looked on in disgust. His chest was still hurting badly from Skackle's "surgery."

Damn it, Amber, he thought. I give you all the help I can, and still you can't seem to do anything right! What do I have to do, stand by there and tell you what every card in your sister's deck does? Well if you lose, don't expect me to come and rescue you out of your sister's clutches!

If she just draws the right card, though, it will be all over for Jade…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Amber drew.

"I play one card facedown," she said, setting it.

"Now I give my Life Points a boost with Soul of the Pure!"

She put down the Spell Card, and the shining fairy appeared, bringing her Life Points up to 1,100.

"Now I'll summon the Battle Footballer in Defense Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and a cyborg dressed in a football uniform appeared, crouched as if ready to receive a ball. (1,000/2,100)

"Never liked football much myself," said Amber. "But this guy makes and impressive defensive shield."

"Not defensive enough," said Jade. She drew.

Amber listened.

Bingo, she thought.

"Seiyaryu," said Jade, "attack the Battle Footballer!"

The Dragon blasted the Machine away.

"And I'll also use Dian Keto the Cure Master to heal my own Life Points," she continued.

She used the Spell Card, and her score went up to 2,500.

"The tide of this battle is turning strongly in my favor, Amber," said Jade. "Very soon, you are going to regret ever having sided yourself with the evil forces!"

"We'll see," said Amber, drawing. "But before I do, let's play a little game, courtesy of my Trap card…"

She reached for her facedown card.

"It's a little thing called Prophesy!"

"Prophesy?" said Jade.

"Simple, really," said Amber. "First, you have to take one Monster card from your hand, and hold it up, back side to me…"

I only have one Monster card in my hand, thought Jade, looking at her Yamoto the Noble Samurai card.

She held it up in front of her.

"Perfect!" said Amber. "Now then, if I can correctly guess whether the Attack strength of that card is greater than or less than 2,000, I get to take it!"

Jade's eyes opened wide.

"Let me think," said Amber, pretending to think it over. "I believe… I do believe… that the Attack power of that card… is indeed greater than 2,000!"

Jade winced in anger.

"Was I right?" said Amber. "I was right, wasn't I?"

"Here, just take it!" said Jade, putting it though a special slot on her console.

Amber received the card. "Heh, heh, your favorite card, huh? Well, rather than use it now, I'll just save it for later, and use another big surprise…"

She chose another card, a card with an odd looking sailing ship on it.

"A Ritual Card?!" said Jade.

"Uh huh," said Amber. "The mighty ritual known as Shinato's Ark!"

"Oh no!" said Peter. "I've heard of that card…"

"What does it summon?" said Mary.

"Something you don't want to mess with," he said.

Amber put the card down, and a huge ship with Japanese letters on the sails appeared on the field.

"To activate its magic, I offer from my hand a second Harpie Lady and a Lady Assailant of Flames!" she said.

She placed down two cards, and the Winged Beast, and a fiery princess in a blue gown appeared over the Ark. They flew into the ship, and it vanished into a cloud of mist.

"And now, I summon, the lord of all Fairies, the unbeatable, unstoppable, and incredibly handsome looking, Shinato, King of a Higher Plane!"

Slowly, an enormous shape touched down. It was a regal figure, dressed in armor, with three pairs of glowing wings carrying two enormous swords and wearing a crown. His eyes opened and they glowed with fiery light! (3,300/3,000)

"Shinato," ordered Amber, "cut that Dragon to pieces! Astral blades attack!"

Shinato flew forward in a blur, and Seiyaryu was cut down. Jade's Life Points were reduced to 1,700.

What do I do? thought Jade. I know that creature's power… putting a Monster in Defense does more harm than good against Shinato… if he attacks a Monster in Defense, the Monster's Attack points will be deducted from my Life Points! But no Monster I put into Attack can destroy him… unless.

She began to reach for her deck.

Just then Amber winced. Some static was coming through the receiver in her ear.

Piece of junk, she thought. You'd think Remi would have checked this thing.

She nudged the receiver with her finger. The static cleared.

There, she thought.

"Amber?" said Jade.

"What?" said Amber. "Aren't you going to draw?"

"Why did you just do that?"

"Do what?"

"Why did you just poke your ear like that?"

Amber gazed at her. Fear came over her face.

"Uh…" she said. "I was doing that for… for good luck! Yeah, that's it! Just like that old comedienne, what was her name, Karen Bur… um Bur…"

"Carol Burnette?" said Jade.

"Uh, yeah!" said Amber, starting to sweat. "Always liked her…

Jade turned around and saw something behind her.

"Since when?" she said. She pulled her wakisashi out of its sheath and threw it behind her. With a smash it impaled right through the camera that was spying on her. The camera sparked and went limp.

Wha… bu… ga… thought Amber. She… she… I HATE YOU JADE!!

"That big cheater!" said Mary, with a snarl.

"Yes, but seeing as the lamp is remaining still," said Yugi, "it seems the duel must reach a proper end before someone can win. And Jade still can't refuse to fight, because a forfeit _is_ a proper end. So we'll have to just hope for the best."

"Now that you've lost your advantage," said Jade. "You'll have but no choice to play this duel the proper way.

She drew.

"No difference," said Amber. "You'll never defeat Shinato!"

"We'll see," said Jade. "I first play the Pot of Greed!"

She put the card down, and the laughing jar appeared and vanished. Jade drew two new cards.

Darn, thought Amber. Those two cards could be anything!

"Now, I'll play one card facedown," said Jade. "And I'll summon the Time Wizard!"

She put the two cards down, and the clock shaped Spellcaster appeared on the field.

"Your Fairy may be powerful," said Jade. "But no creature can resist the crippling effects of Father Time!"

"If that spinner lands on a skull," said Amber, "You'll lose on my next turn!"

"The luck given to me by my dedication to the _bushido_ has never failed me when times are dark, sister," said Jade, "and I doubt it will fail me now! Time Wizard, use time roulette now!"

The spinner on the Time Wizard's staff began to turn. Jade closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Oh, please Time Wizard," said Clive, "you can't miss, you just can't!"

"He won't," said Yugi. "Jade's power over her cards is greater than that cheater's ever will be!"

The spinner slowed. It paused on one side and then the other… Jade's concentration never wavered…

And it came to a jerk, right on the twelve o'clock position!

"YES!!" said Mary.

"_Time Magic!!"_ shouted the Time Wizard, as a maelstrom opened above the grid. Jade stood firm, as her sister looked away in fear. Shinato screamed, as he began to age at an accelerated rate, shriveling into dust. When the time warp closed, both Monsters were gone, and Amber's Life Points now read 275.

"Your move, sister," said Jade, opening her eyes.

Amber shook as she drew.

I could summon a Monster and make a Direct Attack to finish her, she thought. But I can't take that chance! My Life points are too low, and if that facedown card of hers is a Trap…

She looked nervously up at the lamp.

"Okay, then," she said. "First I'll use my second Soul of the Pure card."

She put it down, and the fairy appeared again. Her Life Points went up to 1,075.

"Now I'll summon the Dark Bat in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

She put the card down, and a huge bat appeared. (1,000/1,000)

Jade drew.

"I summon Usagi Warrior in Attack Mode," she said.

She lay the card down, and the rabbit Beast-Warrior wearing a gi appeared. (1,500/1,000)

"And this wasn't a Trap, by the way," she continued, lifting up the facedown. "I'm equipping the Warrior with my Ancestral Daisho!"

The shining katana appeared in the Usagi Warrior's hands. His Attack went up to 2,000.

"Attack!" said Jade.

The Beast-Warrior leapt up and cleaved the Dark Bat in half.

Amber drew.

And then she laughed… out loud.

"Well Jade," she said. "I hope you enjoy scrubbing floors and washing dishes, because this next turn is going to put you in my pocket forever!

"First, I'll disarm your bunny with my De-Spell card!"

She put the card down, and the Ancestral Daisho vanished from the Usagi Warrior's hands.

Then she took a card from her hand.

"Next," she said. "Did you forget I had this? Yamoto the Noble Samurai, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and Yamoto appeared, brandishing his katana. (2,200/2,000)

"And finally," said Amber. "I'll use this Equip card… Twin Swords of Flashing Light: Tryce!"

Yamoto's katana vanished, and two large blades appeared in his hands.

"This Equip will bring his Attack power down to 1,700," said Amber, as Yamoto's Attack power fell, "but it will also give him the ability to attack twice in one round! First your rabbit, then _you._"

Jade grimaced. All her friends – except Yugi – gasped in horror.

"Ironic isn't it," said Amber. "To be done in by your favorite Monster!"

Jade was mute as she stared at her sister.

"Well, you'll laugh at my jokes soon enough," said Amber. "You won't have a choice! Yamoto, destroy, the Usagi Warrior!"

Yamoto grunted. He drove one of the swords through the Beast-Warrior, and he fell. Jade's Life Points fell to 1,500.

"And now my moment of triumph!" said Amber. "Yamoto, attack Jade directly!"

Yamoto paused. He didn't move.

"Huh?" said Amber. "I said attack you big tin can! I order you to attack!"

Yamoto's head bowed. He dropped the two Twin Swords. Then, smoke began to rise from his armored form. Before Amber's unbelieving eyes, the Warrior melted into mist.

"Huh?" said Mary.

"Huh?" said Siegfried.

"Hmm!" said Yugi.

"What?!" said Amber. "But… but how?! There weren't any Traps on the field! WHAT HAPPENED?!!"

Yugi stepped forward.

"I'll field that question," he said.

"Yamoto the Noble Samurai was the central card in Jade's deck. Her heart and soul is in that card, Amber; it is very much a part of her. In addition, the way you took him from her was via a malicious and dishonest way, not worthy of a true duelist. Because of those two factors, Yamoto simply could not bring himself to attack his master. He chose to destroy himself rather to obey a command from such a cruel cheater."

"Impossible," said Amber. "YOU'RE LYING! It's nothing but a playing card! Cards can't think!!"

"You have a lot to learn," said Jade, making a draw, "about what it means to understand the Heart of the Cards…"

She looked at the card she just drew.

"And it seems my Heart is truly with me now," she continued. "I play Monster Reborn! And I choose to bring back the Monster whom just showed me the greatest of loyalty…"

She put it down, and Yamoto reappeared on her side! His original score was in place, and he was now very angry!

"Yamoto," said Jade, "finish her off! Attack Amber directly!!"

Amber covered her face and screamed as Yamoto attacked, wiping out the rest of her Life Points.

"You lose, big sister," said Jade, somberly.

The Lamp of Obedience slowly started to lower and pointed itself at Amber.

"NOOO!!" shouted Amber in panic. She tried to leap off the station, but she didn't even make it to the floor. A gust that resembled a whirlwind emitted from the spout of the lamp, and Amber was sucked into it, screaming.

When the screaming stopped, the lamp floated towards Jade, and lowered itself into her hands. Jade descended from the station.

"Oh, Jade!" said Mary, as she rushed up to hug her (which wasn't very pleasant, hugging someone wearing armor), "I thought for a minute we would lose you."

"Yes," said Jade. She went around the station and recovered her favorite card. "I was worried for a moment there myself. Fortunately, it seems there are mysteries in the world of Duel Monsters that can be wielded only by a certain few. We have the Warrior on this card to thank, I guess."

"I wasn't him, Jade," said Yugi. "To the true duelist, the cards are as much a part of her as are his arms and legs. Yamoto would not attack you because he was from the part of you that is most pure, and the evil trick she used to seize control of him could not destroy that purity."

"So," said Siegfried. "What are you going to do with your sister?"

Jade looked at the lamp.

"It is tempting to throw this into the East River," she said. "But I'll keep it for now, until I think up a suitable punishment. In the meantime, a few days in the lamp's prison might teach her a little lesson…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his Castle, Remi brooded, angrier than ever. He'd not only failed to get rid of Jade, but he'd lost a powerful magic item in the process.

"So what now?" said Circe, who was beside him.

"I must think about it for awhile," said Remi. "Maybe we need to return to the original plan. I'll be in my bedchamber… I do not want to be disturbed for any reason at all!"

He grabbed his Rod, and stormed off down a hallway.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That night, Yugi and his friends slept in the upper floor of the Pokemon Center; Mary's dreams were more pleasant than they had been the night before. She dreamed of the barbecue they had the week before they came here, where troubles seems light years away.

But halfway through her sleep, the dreams turned ugly…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PROPHECY (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A crystal ball with the number 2,000 both above and below it.

**Card Description: **Choose one card at random in your opponent's hand. Guess whether the card's ATK is greater than, less than, or equal to 2,000. If the chosen card is a Monster Card and you guess correctly, take the chosen card.

_Note: "Prophecy" was first used by Pegasus in original anime episode "Champion versus Creator (Part 1)". Creative Credit goes to the writers of that episode._


	15. Call of the Grave

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Call of the Grave**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Mary tossed and turned in her sleep, and halfway through...

_She dreamed…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

She was wandering through a dark cavern. She had no idea how she got in. Strange shadows flickered from ominous torches on the walls.

She looked down and drew back in fear. Skulls and bones were piled up on the ground!

She had to move forward. She somehow knew that she was looking for something and she would find it ahead.

She came to a brightly lit cavern, than looked like a derelict graveyard. Tombstones and skulls served as macabre decorations. But there was something of great interest in the center: a duel was in progress!

On the right side of the dueling station was a young duelist she didn't recognize. He was sure ugly, though. He had a skull-like face and unkempt hair. He looked like he had crawled out of one of the graves around her.

But the young duelist facing him on her left was strangely familiar…

"Daddy?!" gasped Mary in shock.

It had to be him. She had seen pictures of her father from when he was a teenager, the striking and muscular Joey Wheeler. It had to be him standing there, facing this living nightmare.

How could she be seeing him like this? Had she somehow stepped into the past?

Too scared to talk, she looked at the dueling station. Her father's score now read 630, while his opponent's now read 1,350.

But that wasn't the only way he was losing. He had no Monsters currently on his side, while the ghoulish youngster had _four_ of his own – Clown Zombie, Armored Zombie, Dragon Zombie, and the enormous form of Pumpking the King of Ghosts.

Yugi had that Monster in his deck, but it had never appeared this gruesome when he used it. Mary was now praying that it was her father's turn.

The young duelist took a card from his hand. "Go, Red Eyes Black Dragon!" he said.

A burst of energy erupted on the grid, and the mighty Red Eyes appeared.

"Yes!" whispered Mary.

Then a sinister voice spoke up from behind the station.

"Red Eyes?!" it said. "Where'd this dork get a card that rare?!"

"If my defenses are blocked," said the young duelist, "then I'll just have to take to the _offense_! Red Eyes, take out that oversized pumpkin!"

"What do I do?" said his opponent in panic. "His Attack is greater than mine!"

"Inferno fire blast!" shouted the young duelist! The Red Eyes blasted its weapon, and incinerated Pumpking. His opponent's life points went down to 855.

"Yay!" shouted Mary. "Go dad!"

Mary swore that the ghoulish boy turned his head a little towards her, but only for a second.

Then yet another voice came from behind the station, one that was oddly familiar…

"All right Joey!" it said. "Now he can't raise his Monsters' Attack any higher! And since Pumpking was a ghost from the start, he can't use Call of the Haunted to bring him back!"

It seemed her father had a supporter of his own. Mary tried to run to join whoever it was, but she found her legs were unwilling to move. She'd have to watch from where she was.

Then the sinister voice from behind the station spoke up again.

"Minor setback Bonz," it said. "Don't forget, you still have enough firepower to polish him off for good!"

Bonz? thought Mary. So that was the guy's name.

"Yeah, okay boss," said Bonz. "Dragon Zombie, blow Red Eyes away!"

The Dragon Zombie exhaled a gout of foul breath, and the Red Eyes was disintegrated.

"My Red Eyes, no!" shouted the young duelist.

"No, Daddy!" said Mary.

Bonz laughed a cruel laugh. "Even Red Eyes was no match for me!"

The young duelist's Life Points now stood at 150.

"It's all over for you dweeb!" laughed Bonz's unseen supporter.

"Well, are you going to move, or are you going to surrender?" laughed Bonz.

The young duelist started to think. The two voices behind the station started shouting some things, but Mary could not hear them. It seemed now that only her, her father, and the wicked duelist who seemed as much a Zombie as his three Monsters, existed.

The young duelist put a card down.

"Battle Warrior, in Attack Mode!" he said.

The Warrior appeared on his side. He looked powerful, but Mary knew he was weak.

"No, Daddy, you'll lose!" she shouted.

This time she was certain that Bonz saw her. But the young duelist didn't. He didn't hear her cry.

Bonz turned back to the duel. "So it's the only move you have left…" he started.

"And then," interrupted the duelist, "I'll add this Spell Card, Shield and Sword!"

"What?!" gasped Bonz's supporter, whose voice suddenly became clear.

"Go, offensive/defensive flip!" shouted the young duelist. Before her eyes, the Attack power of the three Zombies became zero, while the Battle Warrior's became 1,000.

"Smash those Zombie freaks!" shouted the young duelist. "Ultimate battle fist!!"

The Battle Warrior raised his mighty fist and blasted the Dragon Zombie to pieces! Her father had won!

"How… how could I lose…" sputtered Bonz.

Mary leapt for joy, but before she knew it, the scenery changed.

Before she knew it, she was surrounded by mist. She didn't know where she was.

Suddenly she was startled. He was right in front of her… her father's opponent in the match she just saw. Bonz was not ten feet away, looking at her with his cold eyes.

Mary could see he was wearing something on his left wrist. She recognized it… it was a real Dueling Disk, the type used in huge tournaments years ago, far more expensive and advanced than the toy ones that they had seen at the convention.

"You…" said Bonz. "You were the one in the cave… who the heck are you?"

"I…" started Mary.

Should I tell him the truth? she thought. Might as well…

"I'm Mary Wheeler," she said, slowly. "Joey Wheeler's daughter…"

His eyes opened wide.

"Daughter?" he said. "He's no older than you are, how can you be his daughter?!"

He paused. "Strange things are afoot here…"

He noticed that she had a deck of cards in her pocket. He looked at his own deck, and then at her.

"No," he said. "I won't duel you now. I'll get my revenge on your… father, if that is who he truly is, and maybe we'll meet again someday…"

He turned and walked into the mist. But before Mary could follow, the mist lifted, and she was in another graveyard, this one even spookier than before. It looked like something out of a horror movie, and she could feel evil in the air… evil she had not felt since Cassie had dragged them to that crazy game where she had become the Dark Magician Girl.

Then she saw them. Bonz was dueling with another young man, both of them using the dueling disk system. Mary didn't recognize the other duelist – he was a young man with platinum blonde hair – but one part of him she did recognize…

He was wearing the Millennium Ring!

Bonz was not as intimidating as he was in the first duel. In fact, his face was clearly showing panic. He had no Monsters in play, but his opponent had a fiendish creature in play that Mary didn't recognize. It looked like a ghoul in a noble's outfit with a sword.

Bonz made a move with a shaking hand. "Nightmare Steel Cage!" he said, playing a Spell Card. A steel mesh surrounded his opponent.

Must be a defensive move, thought Mary.

His opponent made a cruel laugh, and picked a card. "Ectoplasmer, drain the soul of my Earl of Demise!" he said. His voice was cruel and sinister.

A glob of glowing energy was sucked from the ghoulish Monster, and it fell. The energy shot forward, and hit Bonz, knocking him down.

"You lose, mortal," said the boy with Millennium Ring. "And now your penalty…"

"No, no…" said Bonz.

Suddenly, the ground came to life, and slowly Bonz was pulled under! As he screamed, the villain laughed with glee. Mary could only watch with horror.

Then the villain vanished. Mary ran to the spot where Bonz had been buried alive,

"He… he didn't deserve that…" gasped Mary.

Suddenly, a hand erupted from the ground!

"MARY!!" shouted Bonz's voice.

Mary drew back.

"Help me Mary…" begged Bonz. He pulled his face to the surface.

"How?!" said Mary, reaching her arm out.

"The Evil Spirit will strike again…" said Bonz. "Maybe hours from now… Yugi cannot defeat him this time… only you can win this battle…"

The ground started to pull him under again.

"Save me Mary…" he gasped. "Free my soul… defeat the Spirit…"

And then, Mary woke up with a gasp.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Jade made a fire on the street to cook from (she knew enough survival skills to make a campfire anywhere), Mary went up to Yugi.

"Um, Yugi," she said. "Did your dad ever tell you about a duelist named Bonz?"

"Um…" said Yugi. "No."

"Yeah," said Mary. "My dad never told me about him either. But still… I think our folks… or one of them at least… may have dueled him once…"

"Why?"

She explained the dream to him. It was as vivid in her mind as if it had actually happened.

"Odd," said Yugi. "You're certain that the guy dueling him the first time was your father?"

"Positive," said Mary. "Someone I couldn't see even called him 'Joey'. "

"From that second duel in your dream," thought Yugi, "the person who killed him – if that's what happened – was obviously Bakura, the former host of the Ring's Evil Spirit… and now the Spirit is possessing Cassie… but what does this Bonz character have to do with it all?"

As they thought, Jade paused. Her sensitive ears perked.

That noise, she thought. Someone pulling back… a bowstring…

"Yugi!" she yelled.

She rushed over to him and tackled him to the ground, just as an arrow shot overhead and embedded itself in the wall behind him.

Yugi was not pleased. Jade's armor added about eighty pounds to her weight, and it was covered with sharp edges.

"You want to give me more warning the next time you want to do that, Jade?" he said. "I mean, I like you a lot, but…"

"Didn't have time," she said, getting up and drawing her sword. "Someone just tried to put an arrow through your skull. But he seems to be gone now…"

Yugi saw that a note was tied around the arrow.

"Not exactly normal mail," said Peter. "More like air mail."

"Don't joke," said Yugi. "Obviously it's another 'invitation' from Remi."

He unrolled the letter and a playing card fell out. Mary picked it up. It was a Trap Card called Skull Invitation.

"I know this Trap," said Mary. "A very risky Trap card to play. When this continuous Trap is activated, both players lose 300 Life Points every time ANY card is discarded to the Graveyard. Useful when you have a big lead, but risky at any other time."

Then a chill came over her. This looked like just the type of card that Bonz would like to use. The horned skeleton on the picture seemed proof of that.

"There's writing on the note," said Yugi.

_Meet us at the New York City Marble Cemetery, and prepare for the duel of your life._

"What the?!" said Mary. "Remi's clues haven't been this obvious before!"

"And _us_?" said Clive. "Are we supposed to meet more than one person there?"

"Perhaps we will get another shot at Remi himself," said Jade.

"True," said Yugi. "The Marble Cemetery is only a short way from here. Let's get going."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The New York City Marble Cemetery was one of the most beautiful, peaceful, and tranquil cemeteries in New York, indeed one of the most so on the east coast. Flowering trees, lovely gardens, and the fanciest monuments made sure that the final rest of the deceased would not be unpleasant here. It was normally closed to the public, but when the team approached the front gates, they swung opened wide.

"Well," said Peter, looking around, "I'd certainly want to buried here."

"Start saving your allowance," said Yugi. "It's expensive."

"No dueling stations around," said Peter. "It isn't like you could even set one up here…"

A figure appeared in front of them. They gasped.

"Cassie!" said Yugi. His Puzzle sprung to life.

Cassie calmly shuffled her deck. "So glad you could make it guys and gals," she said.

Jade drew her sword, but Yugi cautioned her not to charge.

"Stay close to me, folks," he said. "My Puzzle can keep her from pulling the same trick she did last time…"

"Now why would I do that?" said Cassie. "A true artiste never uses the same plan twice…"

She chose a card from her deck.

"I've got something completely new for all of you this time!"

She showed them the card – the Spell Card known as…

"Call of the Haunted!" said Yugi.

"You got it," said Cassie. "And this will bury your chances of beating me this time!"

She threw it into the air and a nimbus of unholy light emitted from both it and her Ring. Before the six of them knew it, they were falling threw a deep void…

They fell onto a hard surface. When they got up, they were in another cemetery, but this one was as ugly as the one they had left was beautiful. The tombstones were derelict and broken, the ground was barren and full of weeds, and sky was cloudy and dark.

Cassie appeared in front of them.

"Welcome to the Graveyard," she said.

Jade picked up her sword. She lunged and swung at Cassie, but the sword passed through her as if she were air.

"You cannot harm me physically in this realm," said Cassie. "And in case you don't already know it, there's no way out."

"What do you want now, Cassie?" said Yugi.

"You defeated me so soundly last time, Yugi, so now I'm upping the odds," she said. "You're going to have to duel if you want your friends to ever leave here. Win, and I'll return you all to the real world. Lose, and I'll be merciful – I'll return _them_ to the real world, but _you'll_ have to give me your Puzzle, AND your soul… BOTH souls!"

"Then get your deck ready," said Yugi. "I beat you once before, and I'll…"

"Who ever said I was the one who would duel you?" said Cassie. "I'm not stupid. I brought a servant as a stand in."

Yugi's eyes narrowed.

"So where is he?" he said.

Cassie turned her head to her side, as if she expected someone to be there. Then she turned around.

"GET OVER HERE!!" she commanded. "Did I say you could wander off?! Did I?!"

A sigh was heard, and someone slowly walked into the forefront.

Mary couldn't believe it. It was him. The Bonz character from her dream. And he was still wearing the Dueling Disk.

"Yugi!" she whispered. "It's him! That's Bonz!"

"Now then…"

"Hold up," said Yugi. "What have you done to Bonz, Cassie? I want answers!"

Cassie looked up in surprise. "You know him?" she said. "Humph. I'm surprised your father even bothered to tell you about this piece of trash.

"Never was their more a pitiful duelist than this one," she continued. "His parents died when he was five, and he was raised in an orphanage, where the other children teased him mercilessly. They called him 'Bonz' there because he looked so much like the Zombies that became the cornerstone of his deck. Small wonder that a boy treated so rotten would grow up to be rotten.

"He ran away eventually and fell in with a duelist named Bandit Keith. Keith tormented him even more than his peers had, but at least he taught the kid something useful – how to play Duel Monsters."

Bandit Keith. Both Yugi and Mary had certainly heard of him. A scoundrel of the worst kind, sadistic to the extreme. He was both a thief and a cheater, who could never understand the Heart of the Cards.

"But," continued Cassie, "when Keith took Bonz to Maximillion Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom, Bonz suffered a humiliating loss – to your father I believe, Mary. After that, Keith betrayed him, and left him for the wolves, so to speak."

The duel in my dream! thought Mary. Then that guy I couldn't see who was supporting Bonz… it was Keith! And my father's supporter… Yugi's father?

"Bonz tried to make a comeback in the Battle City tournament," said Cassie, "but he had an accident… he ran into me! I destroyed him and imprisoned his soul in the Shadow Realm, keeping him there until I had need of a slave who'd suit my purposes. He should be glad I sent him there… an eternity of loneliness is surely preferable to a life filled with cruelty, wouldn't you agree?"

All this time, Bonz was just hanging his head with sad eyes. It seemed he was lost in despair – but who wouldn't after over three decades in the Shadow Realm?

"You demon!" said Mary. "Bonz, how can you do this for her?"

"I… I have no choice…" said Bonz.

"SHUT UP!" said Cassie, slapping him.

"Fine," said Yugi. "I'll duel if I have to, but I…"

"No!" said Mary. She put her hand in front of Yugi.

"Mary?" said Yugi.

"Listen Cassie," she said. "You want to play your little game? I'll duel in Yugi's place, but on one condition… if I win, you let Bonz go!"

Cassie looked at her in surprise. But then she smiled.

"What an odd request," said Cassie. "After the trouble he gave your dad, I'd think you'd hate him almost as much as you hate me!"

"He doesn't deserve what you're doing to him!" said Mary.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into Mary," said Cassie. "I'll accept your challenge for sure… one soul is as tasty as another. But think about it… if you lose, you'll face an eternity of solitary confinement in the Shadow Realm, just like Bonz. It isn't something to look forward to…"

"Uh, can I have a word with my friend here?" said Yugi, grabbing Mary's hand.

Yugi and his friends took Mary into a huddle.

"Are you crazy?" said Clive. "This is even worse than that heat ray trap you got into!"

"Mary, I must insist…" said Yugi.

"But the dream, Yugi!" said Mary. "Bonz told me in the dream that you couldn't win, and that only I could! Maybe it was because my father beat him before, but the dream had to mean something. I'm almost certain of it… if you try to do this, you'll lose!

"And I can't let him down. In that dream he was pleading with me, begging me for help! It was more than a dream Yugi… it was a message. I'm the only one who has a chance…"

Jade spoke up. "I sense truth in what she says," she said. "I also sense nervousness in Cassie right now. Much as she does not wish to admit it, she does not want Mary to duel. Perhaps Mary has a point…"

Yugi paused.

"Okay," he said. "We're all behind you."

"Mary," said Jade. "Should you lose, I will pray for you. What you do… is truly worthy of the Samurai."

"Thank you," said Mary.

They took each other's hands for a moment.

Mary walked up towards Bonz and Cassie, taking her deck out of her pocket.

"Mary," said Bonz. "You don't have to…"

"I know I don't have to," said Mary. "I _chose_ to."

"Very well," said Cassie. "You'll use THIS."

She gestured, and a Dueling Disk like the one Bonz was wearing appeared on Mary's left arm.

"But I don't even know how to use this thing!" said Mary.

"It's easy!" said Yugi. "Just treat it like a game board, aim and fire!"

"To be fair," said Cassie. "We'll use the rules you're familiar with, Mary. And Bonz, I'll be watching closely, and if you even THINK about throwing this match, I'll rend your soul to bits!"

"Y-yes master," said Bonz.

He then turned his face fully to Cassie. "You do realize that I hate you…" he said, with a slight sneer.

"I can live with that," said Cassie. "Now do as I tell you or else!"

The two of them loaded their decks into the center of the disk. The numbers 2,000 appeared in the center.

"Cassie," said Mary, "You_ will_ keep your word should I win?"

"Of course," said Cassie. "I'm a man – um, woman of my word. But don't expect to win."

Mary sneered.

"Okay folks," said Cassie. "Ready and…"

"LET'S DUEL!!" both of the duelists said.

"Guess I'll go first," said Mary, after making her draws. "So I'll throw out the Flame Swordsman in Attack Mode!"

She slipped the card into one of the slots, and pointed. The Flame Swordsman appeared before her, larger and more lifelike than ever, brandishing his sword. (1,800/1,600)

"Okay, Bonz," said Cassie. "Move."

Bonz sighed.

"First," he said. "I activate my Field Spell Card, the Wasteland." He put the card down, and a cracked, barren surface surrounded him.

Nuts, thought Mary. That Field card will raise the Attack power of any Zombie he summons by 200 points.

"Next," said Bonz, "A Spell Card… Temporary Truce."

He placed it down, and two hands appeared in the air – they shook.

"Huh?" said Mary. "What does that do?"

"Quite simply Mary," said Cassie, "For two full turns, starting with your next turn, neither Bonz nor you can make any offensive play that results in the loss of Life Points for your opponent."

She made a slight smile.

What's he up to? thought Mary.

"And finally," said Bonz, "I'll play the Whiptail Crow, in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and a demonic bird-like creature appeared in front of him. (1,600/1,650)

"Show some enthusiasm, Bonz!" said Cassie.

Huh? thought Mary. That's a Fiend, not a Zombie! It won't benefit from his Field card…

Mary's friends were thinking the same thing.

"What's he up to?" said Clive to Yugi.

"I don't know…" said Yugi.

"Why does it always scare me when you say that?" said Clive.

"Well, I can't attack with my Monsters," said Mary, "but I can summon them. Swamp Battleguard, in Attack Mode!"

The green, horned Warrior appeared to join the Flame Swordsman. (1,800/1,300)

"That's my move," said Mary.

Bonz drew.

"One card facedown," he said. "And I'll summon the Darkfire Soldier in Attack Mode."

The image of the back of a card came into view and the fiery soldier with a scimitar appeared. (1,700/1,150).

A Pyro?! thought Mary. That's no Zombie either. And what is that facedown card? Still under the effects of his Truce… better play something else…

She drew.

"I'll summon Giltia the Knight, in Attack Mode!" she said, placing the card. Giltia appeared, swinging his spear high! (1,850/1,500)

"And now my turn is over, and the effects of your Temporary Truce are as well," said Mary.

"Well, well," said Cassie. "Your Three Musketeers will soon fall. Bonz?"

Bonz drew, and placed another card down.

"I summon Harpie's Brother in Attack Mode," he said. The large, muscular Winged Beast appeared. (1800/600)

"And now I'll…" said Bonz, with his hand shaking.

"Go on, Bonz," said Cassie, "show her what that facedown card is…"

"I activate, my Trap," said Bonz, pressing a button, "DNA Surgery!"

"What on earth?!" said Mary.

As the card lifted, a huge double helix appeared in the center of the field, and all six Monsters glowed.

"Let me explain how DNA Surgery works," said Cassie, with an evil smile. "When it is activates, all Monsters currently on the Field, and anything summoned for as long as its Continuous effect is in place transform into any Monster type that the user desires, in Bonz's case, Zombies! And now that his Monsters are Zombies, they gain a Field Power Bonus from his Wasteland!"

Mary saw it was only too true. Bonz's Monsters were rotting into undead husks, and the Field magic was working. The Whiptail Crow's Attack was raised to 1,850, the Darkfire Soldier to 1,900, and Harpie's Brother to 2,000.

"Of course," said Cassie to Mary, "DNA Surgery affects _your_ Monsters too, but for you it isn't a benefit. You haven't got a Wasteland of your own, and I doubt you have any Equip cards that are useful for Zombies!"

"Ugh!" said Mary, looking at her Monsters. "Nasty!"

"Whiptail Crow," said Bonz, "attack Flame Swordsman with tail whip attack!"

The Crow pounced, slashing the Flame Swordsman in half! Mary's Life Points fell to 1,950.

"Darkfire Soldier," said Bonz, "attack Giltia with flaming scimitar attack!"

The Soldier's sword flamed up, and he cut Giltia down. Mary's Point sank to 1,900.

"Harpie's Brother," he commanded, "attack Swamp Battleguard with dive bomb attack!"

The undead Harpie took to the air and come down on the Battleguard, tearing him apart. Mary's Life Points fell to 1,700.

"Good lord…" said Peter. "Did I see what I think I just saw?"

"Don't worry Mary!" said Siegfried. "I've recovered from worse!"

Man, but how? thought Mary. What can I summon that can stand up to all three of them?

She drew. She looked at the card.

"I'm laying one card facedown," she said. "And I'm laying a Monster facedown as well."

She set the cards, and one card appeared on the ground, another in front of her.

"Defending won't save you," said Cassie. "Let her have it, Bonz."

Bonz put down a card. "I'm placing the Castle of Dark Illusions, in Defense Mode," he said.

A spooky sound was heard, and a smaller version of Remi's Castle rose above the Field. (920/1930)

Mary saw that the DNA Surgery and Wasteland cards were doing their work. The Castle soon started to crack and decay, turning from Fiend to Zombie, and the Wasteland then made its Attack score go up to 1,120.

"It's power will make my Zombies even stronger," said Bonz, "at a rate of 200 Attack and Defense points per round, and that includes the Castle itself, now that it's a Zombie as well!"

The Whiptail Crow's stats went up to 2,050/1,800, the Darkfire Soldier's to 2,100/ 1,350, Harpie's Brother to 2,200/800, and the Castle to 1320/2,130.

Mary gritted her teeth.

"That's the spirit, Bonz," said Cassie, "now finish her off!"

"Forgive me…" said Bonz. "Harpie's Brother, attack the Monster she has in Defense!"

The Harpie's Brother took to the air and dove…

"Activate Trap!" said Mary. As she said it, the image of the card in front of her lifted, revealing her Mirror Force! The Harpie's Brother bounced off his target and slammed into the Darkfire Soldier and the Whiptail Crow, smashing all three of them to pieces!

"YOU IDIOT!!" said Cassie, as Bonz Life Points fell to 513.

"You told me to finish her off!" said Bonz.

Cassie growled.

Well, though Mary. I have nothing that can bring down that Castle… so.

"I place another Monster facedown in Defense Mode and end my turn," she said, placing the cards.

Now there were two cards on the ground in front of her.

Hope my bluff works, she thought. Armored Lizard and Masaki the Legendary Swordsman aren't exactly the strongest defenses I have…

Bonz drew. Cassie nodded to him.

And with that nutcase coaching him, thought Mary. Who knows what he might do next?

"I'm using the Spell Card Exchange!" he said.

Nuts, I hate it when somebody does that! thought Mary.

"You know the rules Mary!" said Cassie.

Mary and Bonz walked up to each other and they showed each other their hands.

"Uh, ladies first…" said Bonz.

Mary looked at his cards. Then she noticed something… a Trap card… one with the image of Zombyra the Dark striking a heroic pose.

A Hero Emerges? thought Mary. Yugi mentioned that card once or twice… it's a powerful Trap… if only I could remember how it works…

"I'll take this," she said, pointing to it.

"Fine," said Bonz. He sounded like he was hoping she'd chose something else, but Mary couldn't tell why.

"And I'll take that one…" He pointed to her Altar for Tribute Trap Card.

They exchanged cards, and backed up again. It was still Bonz's turn.

"Now," said Bonz, "I'll first lay a card facedown."

He put down a card and it appeared. Mary had no doubt it was her Altar for Tribute.

"Now I'll summon Mataza the Zapper in Attack Mode!" he said

A samurai in green leather armor and a bandana rose onto the scene, brandishing a katana. (1,300/1,800)

"No!" said Jade. "I know that Monster!"

"Is it powerful?" said Clive.

"His Attack is low, but he's a very fast Warrior," said Jade. "So fast, that he can attack two foes in one turn! And with the combination of DNA Surgery to turn him into a Zombie, plus the Wasteland and Castle to strengthen him…"

They watched. Mataza quickly turned into an undead samurai, and his stats rose up to 1,700/2,000.

"Go!" said Bonz. "Attack _both_ those facedown cards with zapping blade attack!"

Mataza zoomed forward, and struck! Armored Lizard and Masaki the Legendary Swordsman appeared, and were quickly chopped to bits! Cassie laughed.

Mary shook as she drew. Bonz must have been hoping she'd take THAT card, but it was too late now.

She looked at her new hand. No Monsters that were strong enough to take down the Zapper, but…

Might as well try this, she thought.

"I'm laying a card facedown," she said. "And putting Hunter Spider in Defense Mode."

She put down the card, and the huge arachnid leapt into view (1,600/1,400)

"NO!" said Clive. "Mary's Life Points will be all gone when that Zapper makes his second attack!"

"Don't despair," said Yugi. "I think she has a plan…"

Bonz pressed a button and his Trap Card lifted. "I'll now use your Altar for Tribute," he said, "and sacrifice my Castle of Dark Illusions."

The Altar appeared, and the Castle lowered into it.

"Since it's your card," continued Bonz, "you know how it works… it will raise my Life Points by a number equal to the Castle's original Attack score, which happens to be 920."

The Altar and Castle vanished, bringing his Life Points to 1,433.

Bonz sighed again. "Now, Mataza the Zapper, attack the Hunter Spider!"

The Zapper charged, and cut the Spider apart.

"Now, attack Mary directly!" said Bonz.

"Hold it!" said Mary. "I activate my Trap!"

The card lifted and the Zapper froze in place. A swirling vortex appeared before him.

"Or should I say, _your_ Trap," she said, as A Hero Emerges appeared. "I remembered how it works… I can activate it any time you declare an attack. Now I'm sure_ you_ know how it works…"

She held up her hand, the backs to him. "Pick a card," she said.

"Uh," said Bonz.

"Go on…" snarled Cassie.

"Second card on the left!" said Bonz.

"Lovely," said Mary, taking the card he had picked. "Since that card you chose is a Monster card, I get to Special Summon it NOW! In Defense Mode! Emerge my hero!"

From the vortex, a bestial Warrior leapt out – the Lava Battleguard! (1,550/1800)

"And since it's too late to call off your Zapper's attack," said Mary. "He'll just have to attack him instead of me. And his Defense is stronger than the Zapper's Attack!"

The Zapper bore down on the Lava Battleguard, who swatted him away with his club. The Zapper fell down, stunned, and Bonz's Life Points fell to 1,333.

"Wow, that WAS a clever move," said Clive. "Now that Zapper can't harm Mary until Bonz finds a way around the Battleguard!"

"I'll end my move by playing Decayed Commander in Defense Mode," said Bonz.

He placed a card down, and an undead general appeared next to the Zapper. (1,000/1,200).

Mary watched as the Wasteland's effect raised the Commander's Attack to 1,200.

Okay, she said. One, I've got to get rid of the Wasteland. Two, I've got to stop the DNA Surgery. Both are giving him too much help…

She drew.

Well, half the problem is solved, she thought.

"Mystical Space Typhoon!" she said, placing the Spell Card down.

A dark storm erupted on the field, and the double helix was smashed to bits!

"There!" said Mary. With your Surgery Trap gone, you can't turn any of your non-Zombie Monsters into Zombies… and even better, you can't turn _mine_ into them!"

Cassie was now getting angry.

"Now," said Mary. "I'm playing Monster Reborn to bring back an old friend, in Attack Mode!"

She placed the card down, and the Flame Swordsman reappeared, no longer a Zombie, and as strong as ever!

"And I'll put my Lava Battleguard into Attack mode too!" said Mary. "Lava Battleguard, attack the Decayed Commander with battle bash attack!"

The Battleguard charged and smashed the Decayed Commander to bits.

"Flame Swordsman, attack Mataza the Zapper! Flaming sword of battle!"

The Flame Swordsman's blade erupted in flames, and he smote the Zapper, reducing him to ashes. Bonz's Life Points fell to 1,233.

In his astral mind, Bonz started to get excited.

Yes! he thought. I knew that only Joey's daughter had a chance! It took all the strength I possessed to send her that dream… and if she's any bit as skilled as her father was, then after all these years, this nightmare will be over!

He went to his deck. But until then, he thought, I have no choice but to do as that beast tells me to do…

He drew.

No! he thought. Of all the cards in my deck, why did I have to draw THIS one?

"Your move Bonz," said Mary.

"I play this Spell Card," said Bonz, "Traitor in the Ranks!"

"Traitor in the Ranks?" said Mary.

"Oh no…" said Yugi.

"It's the Spell Card version of Just Desserts," said Bonz. He showed the card, which bore the image of a dark spy holding a dagger. "It does 400 points of Direct Damage for every Monster you have on the field…"

He put the card down, and a large dagger appeared in the air above Mary. She screamed as it flew towards her, and as it hit her she was knocked backwards.

"Aw, did that hurt, Mary?" said Cassie. "Forgot to tell you, the Duel Disk system had a sort of rumble pack in them to make it realistic. When you take Direct Damage, it gives you quite a kick."

"Now you tell me," mumbled Mary, getting up. She looked at her score, which was now 900.

"Now," said Cassie to her slave. "Show her your secret weapon Bonz… bring out the Great Dezard!"

Bonz sighed yet again. "Great Dezard, in Attack Mode."

He put a card in the slot, and an Egyptian man in shining silver armor appeared, carrying a large silver sword. (1,900/2,300).

"Who is that?" said Clive. "He isn't a Zombie…"

"No…" said Yugi, "but I heard something about him and a Zombie… something I seem to forget…"

"Great Dezard," said Bonz, "attack the Flame Swordsman! Great slash attack!"

The Great Dezard attacked, slashing through the Flame Swordsman; his foe fell, and Mary's score went down to 800.

"Why didn't he attack the Battleguard?" said Peter. "That would have done more damage to Mary's Life Points…"

"Something strange is happening…" said Jade. "He is planning something…"

Then a light enveloped the Great Dezard, and his armor changed to gold.

"What?" said Mary.

Cassie laughed.

"After killing one Monster," she said. "Bonz's Great Dezard becomes stronger. That gold paint job now makes him immune to all of your Magic and Trap cards! And wait until you see what happens after he kills _another_ of your Monsters!"

Mary drew and looked at the card.

I don't know what that Warrior is going to do when he destroys Lava Battleguard, but I don't have any way to stop him… at least with this card I can take away some of his firepower…

"I'm switching Lava Battleguard to Defense Mode," she said. "And I'm also summoning Leogun in Defense Mode."

The Battleguard knelt in a defensive position. And the fierce lion appeared next to him. (1,750/1,550)

"And I'm using this De-Spell Card to eliminate your Wasteland effect!"

She put the card down, and the ground around Bonz cleared up.

"And that will do it for me," she said.

"Nice effort," said Cassie. "But that won't save you. Do it Bonz!"

"Attack the Lava Battleguard!" said Bonz.

The Great Dezard charged, and cut the Lava Battleguard down. And then, a glow overtook him again, and his armor changed to platinum.

Thunder started to sound, and the sky turned even darker.

"I now sacrifice Great Dezard," said Bonz, "in order to bring forth his other self…"

The Great Dezard vanished into mist, and a dark cloud appeared…

"I summon forth," said Bonz, "Fushioh Richie!"

From out of the cloud, the most horrible looking Zombie of all emerged. Clothed in tattered red robes, the gaunt skeletal figure had maggots crawling over him, worms crawling from his empty eye sockets, torn lice-ridden hair, and carried a long staff topped with an upturned horn. The smell of death wafted over the whole Graveyard. (2,600/2,900).

"NOW I remember what I forgot about," said Yugi.

"What the blazes is that thing?" said Peter.

"Very good question, Peter," said Cassie. "Why don't you fill them in Bonz."

"I despise, you," said Bonz, under his breath. He spoke out loud. "Not only is Fushioh Richie immune to the effects of all Trap and Spell Cards directed at him, but once per round, his magic staff can summon any Zombie Monster from my deck…

"However, since my Battle Phase just ended, I can't do anything with him this round, so it's your turn, Mary."

Mary looked at the Zombie, and fear began to come over her.

By Barrel Dragon could take it out she thought, if I sacrificed it as well… but I'd have to draw it first. If I can't, there's no telling what he can summon…

She drew.

Oh! she thought.

"I summon… the Millennium Shield!" she said. "In Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and the brilliant shield appeared. (0/3000)

Cassie cursed. "SHE'S the one who picked that up?!" she ranted. "What were the chances?! Ooh, Bonz, finish those other two."

"Fushioh Richie," said Bones, "Call of the Graveyard!"

The Monster waved his staff and evil energy flowed from it.

"I summon forth Despair From The Dark in Attack Mode!" said Bonz.

A dark shape rose from Bonz's side of the field, and it formed into a ghastly shadow with a demonic face and long claws! (2,800/3,000)

"Despair From The Dark," said Bonz, "attack Leogun with dark shadow attack!"

The phantom shot forth a wave of energy, and Leogun was vaporized.

"Fushioh Richie," said Bonz. "Attack Lava Battleguard with unholy blight attack!"

The Zombie lord blasted a dark ray from his staff, and the Lava Battleguard exploded.

Mary started to shiver as she drew.

"I don't care how tough those Zombies are!" she said. "They still can't crack the Millennium Shield!"

"Oh really," said Cassie. "Let me let you in on a little secret… Bonz has a Stop Defense card in his deck, and as soon as he draws it, it will be all over for you!"

Mary's friend's gasped in fright.

But no one was more scared now than Mary was. She suddenly remembered something she had heard her father say in that dream:

"_If my defenses are blocked, then I'll just have to take to the offense!"_

He must have used that trick in his duel with Daddy… thought Mary. And if he draws that card now…

She made her own draw.

"Well fine," she said. "And while he's looking for it, I'll just use a Spell Card of my own – Copycat!"

She fit it into the slot.

"I can use this to copy the effect of any Spell Card Bonz has used, and I'm going to use it to copy his Traitor in the Ranks!"

Cassie snarled again, as the card activated, and the glowing dagger appeared again.

"Richie may be immune to Spell Cards, but Bonz himself isn't!" said Mary.

The dagger struck Bonz, and he fell over. His Life Points fell to 433.

"Nothing personal Bonz," said Mary.

"Don't mention it," he said, getting up. "Is that your turn?"

Mary nodded in the affirmative.

Bonz drew.

"I'm laying one card facedown," he said.

The facedown card appeared in front of him.

"Now, Fushioh Richie, Call of the Graveyard! Bring forth Fear From the Dark in Attack Mode!"

Richie waved his staff again, and a Monster similar to Despair From the Dark appeared, but was a great deal smaller. (1,700/1500).

"And that's my turn," he said.

Mary drew. Come on Heart of the Cards, she said. If you even exist, do me a favor…

She looked at the card.

"I play Graceful Charity!" she said, putting the card down. "I'll draw three and discard two!"

She made her three draws and looked at them.

Shield and Sword, Red Eyes Black Dragon, and Time Wizard.

She thought for a minute. The first card would only aid Bonz. If she summoned the Red Eyes she could destroy Fear From The Dark and win the duel…

But the facedown card… if it was some sort of deadly Trap, it could finish her. The Time Wizard's spin could bypass any Trap and also win her the duel… IF the spin landed in her favor. With each possibility, she'd be taking a risk.

She weighed her options. The Red Eyes was the greater risk. So…

She made two discards…

"I summon… Time Wizard!" said Mary, putting the card down.

Everyone present except Mary gasped.

Mary's friends knew what to do now. They held hands.

"Concentrate," said Jade. "Pray. Put all your faith behind her. Losing this game of chance is not an option…"

No! thought Bonz. Her father tried using this thing against me… and it didn't work! She didn't see that part in the dream I sent her!

If it lands on a crown, she'll win… if it lands on a skull… we're both doomed…

"Time Wizard," said Mary. "Time roulette now!"

The Time Wizards staff spun. Mary's friends' eyes were closed, and they were concentrating. Mary closed her eyes too, trying to forget what would happen if the spin missed. Bonz's eyes were closed, but for a different reason… he was begging for whatever greater power could hear him for the spin not to miss. The only creature that kept her eyes on the Time Wizard's staff was Cassie, who was angrily muttering, "Miss, you accursed thing, miss…"

And perhaps some greater power heard the prayers – maybe some hidden supporter of the six heroes, maybe some unknown enemy of the Evil Spirit of the Ring… because rather than slow and pause like it usually did, something made the pointer on the staff stop rather abruptly – directly on the crown at the top.

Cassie shouted a word that Mary often had gotten her mouth washed out with soap for when she was a kid.

"_Time Magic!"_ shouted the Wizard, as he leapt up.

"NO!" shouted Cassie. But she could not stop it. The time warp opened, and the three Zombies screamed. As millions of years flashed by on the field, Fear From the Dark, Despair From The Dark, and finally Fushioh Richie shriveled into dust. Mary had won.

Yugi's Millennium Puzzle blazed with light. "You've lost, demon," he said to Cassie. "Now unless you do as you promised, I'll be forced to…"

"FINE!!" said Cassie. "I'll release that worthless soul. But be warned all of you… when a man is drowning, he claws his way to the surface twice before going down a third time, and after that, he does not come up. You have survived my onslaught twice, but we will meet a third time, and then, yes then, you will all drown!"

She waved her hand, and before they all knew it, they were falling through the vortex that had brought them there.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They were back in the NYC Marble Cemetery, and it seemed like not a minute had passed. Mary's Dueling Disk was gone, and her deck was in her hand. But most remarkably, Bonz spirit was standing in front of them. What appeared to be his dead body was lying at his feat. Tears were in his eyes.

"Mary," he said, feeling embarrassed. "I can't thank you enough. I'm so sorry I had to do what that lunatic told me to do… I figured by sending you that dream I could at least try to help you defeat him…"

"You sent me that dream Bonz?" she said.

"Yes," he said. "When you're imprisoned in the Shadow Realm for so long, alone with only your thoughts, you learn how to do a few things. When I knew that the Evil Spirit was going to attack you all and use me as a weapon, I figured that only the daughter of the one who had handed me my most humiliating defeat ever would stand a chance. Heh. Guess I'm not as stupid as old Keith thought I was."

"Uh, one thing Bonz," said Mary. "The last move I made… I was considering attacking your Fear From The Dark with my Red Eyes… your facedown card…"

Bonz paused. He shuddered.

"It was my own Mirror Force, Mary," he said. "If you'd done that, you'd have lost. You truly are your father's daughter… you have the same instincts he does."

He handed her back her Altar for Tribute card. "Here," he said. "You can keep the card you took from me. In fact…"

He spilled the cards of his deck on the ground.

"All of you are welcome to them," he continued. "It isn't like I need them anymore."

A light appeared behind him, and he turned to it.

"Where are you going now Bonz?" asked Yugi.

"I don't know," he said. "Wherever the Fates have decided my spirit must go. I just hope that when I get there, I'll finally see my parents again… aside from all of you, they were the only ones to ever show me compassion.

"And if you ever make it out of this city to see you father again Mary," he added. "Tell him I'm sorry too, for the way I mocked him."

He walked to the light and vanished.

They were alone now. Bonz's body was on the ground, his spilled deck of cards next to him.

"People," said Yugi, "find a shovel."

"Yes," said Jade. "Of all the opponents who have died in front of us, at least one deserves a proper burial…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next few hours were tiring. Finding shovels were easy enough. Digging a sizable grave was backbreaking. When their work was done, Yugi let his spiritual partner take over, as they stood beside the grave.

"Bonz," he said. "Your life was not a pleasant one… you had no family, no friends, not even a real name that anybody but yourself knew. And when you fell victim to an evil fiend who sought power though sadistic use of evil magic, no one was there to mourn. But in the end, you aided us with a warning, however obscure, which likely prevented that fiend from achieving its goals, if only for a while. Humanity at large might not miss you, but you can be assured that at least six people will. Whatever your true name was, young duelist, rest in peace."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After that, they looked through his deck, but only a little was of interest to them. None of them had a habit of using Zombies. Jade took a liking to Mataza the Zapper, Peter couldn't resist Traitor in the Ranks, and Clive picked up Exchange. A lot of the cards (including the Mirror Force, Great Dezard, and Fushioh Richie) were pretty rare, so Yugi packed them up in his knapsack… maybe if they survived this crisis, he could bring them to his family's game store back in Domino City where someone else who liked a Zombie deck would be interested in them.

As they prepared to leave the Cemetery, Yugi turned and noticed that he had left a card behind.

They'd dropped one from Bonz's deck.

He looked at it. It bore the image of a magic circle, with wisps of green smoke rising up from it. Floating over the circle was what appeared to be a small, hinged bear trap.

He read the card name and the description.

A light flashed in Yugi's eyes. He took out his deck and slipped it into the center. Then he placed it back in the case, put the case in his pocket, and went to join the others.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TEMPORARY TRUCE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Two warriors shaking hands

**Card Description:** For two turns, starting with your opponent's next turn, neither player can make an attack, or activate any Trap Card, Spell Card, or Monster effect that results in the destruction of any card or the loss of any of either player's Life Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TRAITOR IN THE RANKS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A dark figure holding a dagger about to strike.

**Card Description:** Inflict 400 points of damage to your opponent for each face-up Monster (except Tokens) he controls.


	16. Long Live the Queen!

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Long Live the Queen!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The encounter with Cassie and Bonz was now behind them, but the words of the Evil Spirit of the Ring still rang in their ears:

"_Be warned all of you… when a man is drowning, he claws his way to the surface twice before going down a third time, and after that, he does not come up. You have survived my onslaught twice, but we will meet a third time, and then, yes then, you will all drown!"_

Yugi didn't know what the fiend was now planning, but he could wager it was something even more dangerous than the last two attacks combined. And he was even more concerned about the fact that poor Cassie's true soul was being held a prisoner within her own body, helpless to free herself while a demonic being usurped it with no intention of ever letting her go.

Somehow, they had to find a way to drive the Spirit out… if only there was a way to destroy the Ring, it might work, but Yugi knew that the Items were more or less indestructible.

As he pondered this, Mary nudged him and said, "Look!"

A small explosion seemed to be fired from the Castle of Dark Illusions, and it seemed like a cannon had fired a missile towards them!

"SCATTER!!" said Yugi, and the six of them ran in different directions.

It was indeed a missile, and it took less than a minute to reach the target, hitting the pavement with a thud and burying itself nose-first in the ground. A ticking noise started coming from it.

The friends continued to run, but then a loud "POP" came from the missile. Its tail blew off, and a flurry of papers shot out.

The six of them slowly walked back to the now-inert weapon.

"Clever, Remi," said Yugi. "A propaganda bomb. You're creative, I'll give you that… but that's all I'll give you." He snatched one of the papers out of the air.

"What do they say?" said Jade.

Yugi read:

_Where ancient creatures go to rot,_

_And children toot their horns a lot,_

_Your cards and skills will come to naught._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Up in his dark Castle, Remi picked up a cell phone and punched in a number. It rang twice and was answered.

"Randy?" he said. "Are you in position?"

"Of course I'm in position!" said a voice on the other end. "I've _been_ in position! Now when am I going to get to fry that bimbo Wheeler girl?"

"Randy," said Remi, "do not forget our deal. You are to leave Mary alone. You are to dispose of Clive and Clive only! I have other plans for Mary."

"Aw, please?" said the voice. "Boss, I've been wanting a crack at her all my life! This is finally my chance to…"

"RANDY!!" shouted Remi. "Duel with her and I assure you that you will lose. Do your part as I tell you, and I assure you that Mary's fate will be significantly agonizing… and you will get what you desire."

"Oh… fine," responded the henchman.

Remi hung up.

Now then, he thought. Let's just see how this goes down…

Up in his dark Castle, Remi picked up a cell phone and punched in a number. It rang twice and was answered.

"Randy?" he said. "Are you in position?"

"Of course I'm in position!" said a voice on the other end. "I've _been_ in position! Now when am I going to get to fry that bimbo Wheeler girl?"

"Randy," said Remi, "do not forget our deal. You are to leave Mary alone. You are to dispose of Clive and Clive only! I have other plans for Mary."

"Aw, please?" said the voice. "Boss, I've been wanting a crack at her all my life! This is finally my chance to…"

"RANDY!!" shouted Remi. "Duel with her and I assure you that you will lose. Do your part as I tell you, and I assure you that Mary's fate will be significantly agonizing… and you will get what you desire."

"Oh… fine," responded the henchman.

Remi hung up.

Now then, he thought. Let's just see how this goes down…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Ancient creatures?" said Mary. "What are those?"

"Dinosaurs?" said Siegfried, shrugging.

Everyone looked at him.

"Siegfried, you're a genius!" said Yugi.

"It was just a guess," he said.

"Dinosaurs are ancient creatures," said Yugi. "And the place where they 'go to rot' (so to speak) and where children always go to see them is a museum, specifically the Museum of Natural History!"

"Huh," said Siegfried. "I am a genius…"

"To the subway!" said Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

For animals that have been extinct for hundreds of millions of years, few remain more popular than dinosaurs. Throughout the whole world, all children and even many adults love reading about them, studying them, and watching movies in which they are the stars. And nothing thrills young people more than museums in which the enormous skeletal fossils of real dinosaurs are on exhibit. Few of those museums can compare with the magnitude of the Museum of Natural History in New York City.

As the six of them climbed up the steps to the museum, the doors sung open to let them in, and they immediately entered the enormous foyer, where a familiar sight greeted every guest – the huge Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, the most complete one of its type. However, situated several meters in front of the colossal fossil was a rather large dueling station – and it was surrounded by metal plating on the otherwise marble floor.

They all walked up to it. "Well?" said Yugi. "Anyone here?"

"I'm here all right," said a voice. "Hope you guys are ready for a feeding frenzy like none other!"

A young man, about eighteen years old, walked out from behind the T-Rex. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and was wearing sunglasses. A pin resembling a live T-Rex was stuck to his collar.

"Glad you could make it," he said in a voice that was not at all pleasant. "The name is Raptor… Randy Raptor."

"What?!" said Mary. "That means you're…"

"Rex Raptor's son," said the teen. "I believe your father and his were somewhat acquainted, Mary."

"Oh," said Mary. "So then, how is old Rex doing now?"

"Dead, thank you!" said Randy. "And I'd really like to thank your dad for making his life hell! He'd have been the best duelist in the world if your dad hadn't stolen his Red Eyes!"

"Stolen?!" said Mary. "What the hell are you talking about?! My dad won that card fair and square! In fact, the whole wager was YOUR father's idea!"

Randy glared at her.

"Look Randy," she said, "I don't care if you try to kill me, but leave my father out of it!"

She took out her deck. "Look I've still got it, by the way…"

She flashed her Red Eyes Black Dragon card.

Randy seethed in anger.

"I'm not dueling you," said Randy. "I'm choosing the path of least resistance. And that means _you_!"

He pointed to Clive.

"Me?" said Clive.

"Yeah," said Randy. "Step up to the dueling platform if you aren't scared!"

"I'm not scared," said Clive, taking his deck out, "and I'm just itching to take on someone just to show Remi otherwise!"

They boarded the dueling station and they were lifted into position.

"Oh, Clive," said Randy, "there's a small drawer below the console holding something you might need…"

Clive opened it.

"A particle mask?" he said taking it out.

"That's right," said Randy, fitting one of his own over his own mouth. "Wouldn't want the trap involved in this duel to do you in _before_ I beat you!"

Clive started to ask a question, but as if to answer him, Randy pushed a button on his console, and the floors around the station opened up. A horrid stench emitted from below, and a huge pool of boiling black liquid opened below them!

"Boiling tar!" said Randy, as Clive quickly fitted the mask onto his face. "A common hazard to dinosaurs. You lose, and, kerplunk! Your only concern is what you'll do first… burn, or drown!

Mary gasped.

"Be careful, Clive…" she said.

The dueling station roared to life, and the scores set themselves.

"It's going to take more than a little tar to make me lose my cool," said Clive. "Now lets duel!"

"Then the first move is yours," said Randy, chuckling. "And I hope your Monsters taste good, because my Dinosaurs are as ravenous as ever! Try not to slip… AND LET'S DUEL!!"

Clive made his draws and selected a card.

"I'll play this card in Defense Mode," he said. "The trap master of the Dark Scorpions, Cliff the Trap Remover!"

He placed down the card, and the blonde-haired, dagger-wielding thief in brown and red appeared on grid. He knelt in defensive position. (1,200/1,000)

Randy chuckled. "You think playing that cutpurse in Defense will protect you? Here's a _real_ Monster for you! Mad Sword Beast in Attack Mode!"

A huge Dinosaur resembling a rhinoceros with a razor sharp tusk burst onto the field and roared. (1,400/1,200)

"This very special Dino," continued Randy, "can inflict damage to your Life Points, even when he attacks a Monster in Defense position! Mad Sword Beast, attack with charging tusk attack!"

The Mad Sword Beast charged, and impaled Cliff, tearing him apart. Clive gasped. His Life Points went down to 1,600.

"You made a grave error," said Clive, making his draw. "When you challenge one member of the Dark Scorpions, you have no choice but to fight them ALL!"

He put two cards down. "One card facedown, and Dark Scorpion Chick the Yellow in Attack Mode!"

He put down the card, and young, blonde-haired member of the gang appeared, brandishing his quarterstaff. (1,000/1,000)

"And now I'll use this Spell Card I just drew… Negative Energy!"

He put the card down, and Chick glowed with a nimbus of dark energy, his Attack score growing to 2,000.

"Attack the Mad Sword Beast!" shouted Clive. "Scorpion smash attack!"

Chick the Yellow charged forward, and smote the Mad Sword Beast on the side of the head with his cudgel. The Dinosaur fell over, his, bleeding from the skull. Randy's Life Points fell to 1,400.

"And now that Chick has done damage to your Life Points," said Clive, "his special effect is activated; first, I get to see the top card of your deck, without you seeing it… so lay it down and don't peek!

Randy grimaced, and put the card facedown on a special slot. It's image came up on Clive's screen.

Hmm, Dark Driceratops, thought Clive. It has 2,400 attack points, and it has the same effect as that Mad Sword Beast… not good.

"Now," he said, speaking up, "I get to decide whether you put it at the top or bottom of your deck, and I think I'll choose the bottom."

Randy took the card and put it at the bottom of his deck. "Don't suppose you'll tell me what it was?" he said. Clive shook his head.

"All right!" said Mary. "Clive is in the lead!"

"How do like them apples?" said Clive. "Starting to feel a little worried, now, Randy?"

Randy chuckled.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," he said, making a draw. "This duel is far from over. That Mad Sword Beast wasn't even _close_ to being the strongest thing I have in my deck. To demonstrate… First, one card facedown."

He put the card down.

"Now, I summon Sword Arm of Dragon, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and an orange-scaled dragon with a wicked bladed tail materialized onto the field. (1,750/2,030)

"And I'll use this Equip card, too: Raise Body Heat!"

He put the card down, and the Sword Arm of Dragon's stats were raised to 2,050/2,330.

"Whoever designed that Equip obviously knows the popular theory that dinosaurs were warm-blooded creatures like birds," said Randy, "not cold blooded like other reptiles."

"You should be a paleontologist," said Clive, sarcastically.

"Why thank you," said Randy. "Attack!" he commanded. "Sword tail slash!"

The Sword Arm of Dragon flicked forth its tail, slicing Chick in half! Clive's Life Points fell to 1,550.

Clive sneered as he drew. But then he smiled.

"I'm first activating my Trap, Disarmament! Your Dinosaur will now lose its excess body heat!"

The Sword Arm of Dragon's stats went back down to 1,750/2,030.

"Now, I play the Dark Blade, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a dark warrior, clad in black spiked armor carrying two huge blades, rose into position. (1,800/1500)

"Attack!" shouted Clive. "Dark steel slash!"

The Dark Blade swung forth his swords, decapitating the Sword Arm of Dragon. Randy's Life Points fell to 1,350.

"Yugi," said Jade. "Do you think Clive can emerge victorious?"

"I hope so, Jade," said Yugi. "But I'm not certain. Dinosaur Monsters are few in number in Duel Monsters, but they're some of the most powerful creatures in the dueling world… creatures with the ability to crush their opponents with overwhelming strength. It will take a great deal of strategy, not just frontal assaults, to overcome someone with a deck like Randy's…"

"I'm just getting started!" said Randy, making his draw. "Watch how I make an unbeatable combination with the cards in my hand!"

"First," he said, putting a card down, "I'm using the Spell Card Soul Release, which will force you to remove from play all the cards you have in your Graveyard!"

"Aw, man!" said Clive. He took the cards from his Graveyard, ad put them in a special pile.

So much for using Dark Scorpion Combination in _this_ duel… he thought.

"Next," said Randy, "I'll activate my Trap… Curse of Aging!"

He flipped his facedown card, and the Dark Blade moaned, as his armor began to rust. His stats went down to 1,300 over 1,000.

"Now," he continued, "I'll summon the Balloon Lizard in Defense Mode!"

He put a card down, and a strange Monster hovered over the field. It was a weird thing, resembling a cross between a crocodile and a balloon. (500/1,900)

"What the hell is THAT?" said Peter.

"Um," said Yugi. "Not sure… but I doubt it's good news…"

"I'll summon another Monster too," said Randy, "Gilasaurus in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a small dinosaur that looked like a velociraptor appeared. (1,400/400)

"WHAT?!" said Clive. "How could you summon two Monsters at once?!"

"Gilasaurus is a Special Summon," laughed Randy. "Normally, according to the rules of this Monster, when I summon him, you're allowed to Special Summon a Monster from you Graveyard… but…"

"But because of your Soul Release," said Clive, "I don't have any to summon!"

"Now you get it!" mocked Randy. "Gilasaurus, attack the Dark Blade with tearing claws attack!"

The Dinosaur leapt forward, and tore the Dark Blade apart. Clive's score went down to 1,450.

Clive made a draw.

Hey, he thought. Haven't used this guy in a while… as good a time as ever.

"Freed the Matchless General, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and a grizzled old veteran with long, unkempt hair and battered armor appeared. He raised his sword. (2,300/1,700)

"Warriors from every corner of the dueling world follow this leader in battle," said Clive. "And by the way, don't try using a Spell Card on him because he's immune to them. Attack the Gilasaurus, Freed! Sword of the battle-scarred attack!"

Freed leapt into the air and brought his sword down on Gilasaurus, slashing it to pieces. Randy's Life points took a nosedive to 450.

"YES!!" said Peter. "He's gonna win! Freed the Matchless General is the strongest Monster in Clive's deck!"

"Yeah," said Mary, "you know that because of all the times he's beaten you with him!"

"Watch it!" said Peter.

Randy stayed stone-faced as he drew.

"Pot of Greed!" he said, laying a card down.

The colorful, laughing jar appeared, and vanished. Randy made two more draws.

"I will lay _three_ cards facedown," he said, setting the cards, "and that will end my turn.

"Fine," said Clive, making his draw. "I'll have you know that with Freed on the field, I can choose any Warrior of Level 4 or lower from my deck during my Draw Phase and add him or her to my hand…"

He looked through his deck and took out a card.

"There," he said, reshuffling. "But I won't make the summon now."

He thought for a minute.

Freed could easily take out that Balloon Lizard…" he thought. "But that won't get at Randy's Life Points, and with three facedown cards, it's too risky to attack now…"

"I'll pass this turn," said Clive.

"Heh, heh," said Randy. "Thought these things were Traps, huh? Actually, they were fuel… so I could use this card…"

He held up a Spell Card.

"Emergency Provisions!" he said, placing it down. "I simply send these three throwaway cards to the Graveyard, and my Life Points are increased by 1,000 points for each of them!"

His Life Points rocketed up to 3,450!

"Your move," he casually said.

Clive was in a rage.

"Freed, attack the Balloon Lizard!" he shouted!

"Clive, wait!" shouted Yugi.

Freed charged and smote the Balloon Lizard, and it exploded in a fiery burst. When the smoke cleared, Freed was still standing, but all was not well. Clive's Life Points tumbled to 650.

Randy laughed out loud. "Now you know the power of the Balloon Lizard!" he said. "When it is destroyed, you take 400 points of Direct Damage for each of my Standby Phases in which it survived! And there were two! You should have destroyed it with Freed when you first summoned him, rather than go for Gilasaurus!"

Clive didn't say anything.

"Now," said Randy drawing. "I will destroy you for good. I summon Gagagigo in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a creature resembling a humanoid lizard with a long tail appeared on the field. (1,850/1000)

"That's a Dinosaur?" said Clive.

"No," said Randy, "but he will be in a minute once I use this Spell Card… the Ultra Evolution Pill!"

He put the card down, and a small medicine capsule appeared in the air next to Gagagigo. He grabbed it, and swallowed it. Immediately, his body started to swell.

"The Ultra Evolution Pill changes any Reptile Monster into any Dinosaur Monster I desire," said Randy. "No prepare to meet the true King of the Jungle…"

Gagagigo turned black and started to grow at an alarming rate. He changed shape, and within moments, a pitch-black dinosaur resembling a T-Rex with razor-sharp claws and enormous teeth loomed over the field!

"Say hello to the lord of primal fury known as Black Tyranno!!" shouted Randy. "He'll be the last thing you ever see!"

The Black Tyranno roared in rage. (2,600/1,800)

"Oh no," said Yugi.

"Attack!" said Randy. "Carnivore bite attack!"

The Tyranno lunged, and bit Freed the Matchless General in two! Clive's Life Points fell to 350.

"Tell me I'm not seeing this!" said Mary, nearly crying.

"CLIVE!" shouted Yugi. "Don't play a Monster in Defense!"

"But…" said Clive.

"I mean it!" shouted Yugi. "If you do, it's all over! If your Monsters are in Defense Mode, that thing can strike for a Direct Attack!"

"Butt out, Yugi!" said Randy.

Clive looked at his cards. It might well be all over anyway! he thought. But I have to trust Yugi…

He drew.

Maybe I can stall.

"One card facedown," he said. "And I summon Dark Scorpion Meanae the Thorn in Attack Mode!"

The female member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, and brandished her whip. (1,000/1,800)

"And so it ends," said Randy. "Black Tyranno, devour Meanae!"

The Dinosaur lunged, but his jaws were halted, just inches from Meanae by a wall of force.

"My Negate Attack Trap foiled your assault, Randy," said Clive.

"Heh, heh," said Randy. "Whether I destroy you now or one turn from now makes little difference to me…"

Clive looked down at the pit of boiling tar under his feet.

"Intimidating isn't it," said Randy. "But look on the bright side… it might do wonders for your skin!"

Clive drew.

"Just keep talking, Jurassic dork," he said. "I'm playing the Spell Card Shield and Sword!"

"Huh?" said Randy.

"Go, offensive/defensive flip!" said Clive.

With that, the Black Tyranno's stats turned to 1,800 over 2,600, while Meanae's went to 1,800 over 1,000.

"Lot of good THAT will do you," said Randy. "If you attack now, all you'll get is a draw."

"That's what you think," said Clive. "I'm also Equipping Meanae with the Dark Scorpion Shiv!"

He placed the Equip card down. Meanae's whip vanished, and a long dagger appeared in her hand.

"This Equip powers up the Attack score of any member of the Dark Scorpion Gang by 700 points!"

Randy gasped, as Meanae's score went up to 2,500 over 1,000.

"Go, Meanae!" said Clive. "Shiv strike attack!"

Meanae leapt up at her foe, and buried the dagger in the beast's neck. The Black Tyranno roared, and it fell to the ground with a crash. Randy's Life Points fell to 2,750. Meanae landed back onto the field, and brandished the dagger at Randy.

"And I think I'll end my turn by laying this card facedown," said Clive. He put the card down.

With the Shield and Sword deactivated, Meanae the Thorn's stats now read 1,700 over 1,800.

Randy was noticeably angry.

"I'm summoning Megazowler in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and a large demented triceratops appeared on the field (1,800 over 2,000).

"But I won't attack just now," he said. "I'm not falling for your Trap. Your move."

"Oh it isn't a Trap, Randy," said Clive, drawing. "It was just something for me to use when I use this Spell Card… Dark Scorpion Pilfer!"

He showed him a card that showed Don Zaloog snatching a diamond from a case.

"Huh?" said Randy. "What does that do?"

"The Dark Scorpion Gang are all master thieves, Randy," said Clive. "And when I have one of them on the field, he or she can use this Spell Card to steal any Magic or Trap card from your Graveyard that I want!"

"Ahem!" pouted Meanae.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Clive. "I mean any one that _she_ wants. So what one is it going to be, Meanae?"

Meanae gestured, and an image of the Emergency Provisions cards appeared in her hands.

"Great idea, Meanae!" said Clive. "So hand it over, Randy!"

Randy grumbled, and took the card from his Graveyard, putting it through a small slot. Clive received it.

"Now," said Clive, "I'll just play this, and send my other facedown card to Graveyard!"

He did so, and his Life Points went up to 1,350.

"And since she helped a good deal, I'll just end by switch her to Defense mode," he continued. "And since her Defense is equal to your Megazowler's attack, it can't destroy her!"

Meanae knelt in Defense position.

Randy drew.

"I'll pass," he said, "there's nothing I can do…

"But don't get too self confident!" he snapped. "It's only a matter of time before I draw my Monster Reborn card and bring my Black Tyranno back! And when I do, _nothing_ can save you!"

Clive thought to himself.

He's right. He has more than twice as many Life Points as I do… I'll never bring them down to zero before he brings back that Tyranno… I hate to say it, but I'm doomed…

He reached for his deck…

But I'll go down fighting!

He drew… and gazed in surprise!

This card! he said to himself. The one I bought at the convention!

He looked at Randy.

If that merchant wasn't a con artist, this will be the best one hundred and fifty dollars I have ever spent!

He threw the card down.

"Here's my move, Randy!" he said. "Crescent Moon Queen in Attack Mode!"

The holographic projectors of the machine all flared with dark fire, and black lightning erupted from the grid. Slowly a dark shape emerged from Clive's side of the field…

She had dark skin, shining armor, and a flowing cape that was black as midnight. A crown with a black gem rested on her head, with a dark gem in the center.

She opened her eyes, and they glowed like a beacon. From under her cloak, she drew two large swords shaped like crescents. (2,600/1,700)

Everyone, Yugi included, was shocked.

"W-who…" said Randy.

"Of all Dark Warriors," said Clive. "She's one of the darkest. She taught Gaia the Fierce Knight and many others everything they knew… but none surpass her. Case in point… her two crescent swords give her _two_ attacks per round, not just one!"

"No!" said Randy.

"Long live the Queen…" said Clive. "Attack! Crescent sword slash!"

The Crescent Moon Queen gave a war cry and attacked the Megazowler, obliterating the Dinosaur. Randy's Life Points fell to 1,950.

"I was wrong," said Yugi. "He _can_ win with a frontal assault…"

"Now finish him off!" said Clive. "Hit Randy with a Direct Attack!"

Randy screamed as the Queen closed in on him, hitting him with her swords and wiping out the rest of his Life Points.

Clive breathed a sigh of relief.

"Bye, Randy," said Mary.

Randy screamed as the platform below him gave way. He grabbed onto a ledge with one hand.

"Don't think you've won," he gasped, as he vainly tried to pull himself up. "You'll be next Mary… both myself… and my father… will be avenged… you all will prove yourself no more worthy of life than the true dinosaurs did!"

He screamed as he lost his grip, and he fell into the boiling pit. Everyone forced themselves to look away…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Clive was safe, but getting him down from the station was not easy. Eventually, they found a ladder that enabled him to carefully climb over the tar pit.

Once they had gotten out of the horrible smell, Yugi came up to him.

"So why didn't you ever tell us you had that powerful card?" he asked.

"Well," said Clive. "I bought it at the first day of the convention… kind of thought I could surprise you if we ever dueled in the proper tournament… I guess I should have told you once the whole thing turned crazy…"

"Look at it this way," said Yugi. "Since we didn't know, neither Remi nor Randy knew, and that gave you an edge. Heh, imagine that you have this guy's mentor in your deck!"

He held up his own Gaia the Fierce Knight card.

"Yes," said Jade. "Just as a bond is shared between two of your cards, a bond is shared between the two of you. Perhaps it was fate that brought Clive into possession of the Crescent Moon Queen. But now we have another concern…"

She held up an envelope.

"…This was pinned to the side of a column near the tar pit," she continued.

"Must be our next clue," said Yugi.

Jade opened it and read:

_Where wealthy folk all go for care,_

_And screams of madness fill the air,_

_Come meet your challenge if you dare._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Remi was not in a good mood. He had already "fed" Randy's life force to the gemstone… it brought the level up to 6.02%, but he needed 100% - nothing less would do. At this rate, he would run out of duelists before he succeeded.

"The Crescent Moon Queen," he mumbled. "Where the Hell did that twerp get a card that rare? I've had my Hunters looking for one for months!"

He trudged down the halls of his Castle, towards his Research and Development labs, and opened the doors. Once again, everyone in the room fell silent.

"Where's Jezebel?" he said.

"Uh, she's been in Room C, working on her special project," said one of the workers.

"She'd better be," said Remi, opening the door to Room C.

Inside was a tall female researcher, dressed in a white lab coat, looking over some graphs. She wore glasses, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. Odd monitors were surrounding her.

"Interesting," she said.

"I want more than 'interesting,' Jezebel," said Remi.

"Don't worry, boss," said the scientist, "our next plan can't fail. As per your request, everything will go smoothly. The girl's life force is as good as yours. The brainstorm I had was one of my best…"

"Well, your brainstorm better be a true deluge and not just a drizzle!" said Remi.

"Oh, it will wash them away!" said Jezebel. "Let me explain… as you know, the instruments hidden in the museum were carefully monitoring their heart rates throughout the whole duel with Randy…"

She spread six large charts on a table.

"These are cardiographs," she said. "Printouts of recorded heart rates from a monitor…"

"I know what a cardiograph is!" said Remi.

"Anyway," continued Jezebel, "you likely know that when large amounts of adrenaline flows in an individual's body, due to emotions such as anger, excitement, fear, and the like, his heart rate increases.

"Now, these charts show a great deal about how the six of them manage to control their emotions. Jade's heart rate barely changed at all… figures because I've heard that the Samurai have nerves of steel. Siegfried's barely changed either, but then, he's been though worse. Peter had a few abnormalities, but nothing to truly take advantage of.

"Now Yugi… this was really strange. Even at the most terrifying points of the duel, his heart rate _never_ went above its normal rate… that I simply can't explain…"

Hmmm, thought Remi. Must have something to do with that dumb Puzzle of his…

"Even Clive," continued Jezebel, "who had his own neck in the proverbial noose, managed to keep himself more or less calm… but look at Mary's cardiograph…"

They both looked down at it.

"At key points in the fight," she continued, "her heart rate jumped at an alarming level. See, here's the part where the Mad Sword Beast attacked… where the Balloon Lizard exploded… here's a BIG jump at the part where the Black Tyranno appeared…

"It's clear to me that, no matter how great a duelist Mary may be, she is incapable of controlling fear… I believe with the little setup I have, I should have no problem doing away with her."

She smiled a sinister grin.

"Fine," said Remi. "You'd better be right. Now get down there before they figure out the riddle and beat you to it."

"Right away," said Jezebel, turning to leave.

"Uh, Jezebel?" said Remi.

She turned.

"You might want to take _that_ along with you…"

He pointed to a deck of cards on the table.

"Oh, yeah," she said, embarrassed. She picked them up.

"Better send you there _my_ way," said Remi, "or you might get lost!"

He aimed his Rod at her, and she vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Never liked doctors myself," said Remi. "They think eight years of college and their fancy degrees make them better than other people…"

He turned his Rod to a monitor, and a image of his six enemies appeared on it.

"But this time my foes will be the ones on the wrong side of the tongue depressor. Tread lightly folks, for this is one physician's appointment you won't soon forget…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK SCORPION PILFER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Don Zaloog snatching a priceless diamond from a safe.

**Card Description: **You can activate this card when "Don Zaloog," "Cliff the Trap Remover," "Dark Scorpion – Chick the Yellow," "Dark Scorpion – Gorg the Strong," and/or "Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn" is face-up on your side of the Field. Take one Spell or Trap Card from your opponent's Graveyard and add it to your hand.


	17. Flatline

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Flatline**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Where wealthy folk all go for care,_

_And screams of madness fill the air,_

_Come meet your challenge if you dare._

"Well, this is confusing," said Siegfried. "I'd say a hospital, right off the bat…"

"There are dozens of hospitals in the greater New York area," said Mary. "And hundreds of clinics, hundreds of doctor's offices… this is too broad…"

"Maybe not…" said Yugi.

He thought for a moment.

"It says 'Where wealthy folk all go for care"… must be a very expensive hospital…"

He paused again.

"Bellevue Hospital is the largest and most costly hospital in the city," he said. "And it's also well known for its large psychiatric wards – that must be what it means by 'screams of madness'… an exaggeration to be sure, but it does make sense."

"What sort of twisted mind would want to have such a battle in a hospital?" said Clive.

"Remi," said Jade.

"Agreed," they all said.

"Well, we'd best get there," said Yugi.

In his mind, he kept repeating one thing over and over:

How much longer must this madness go on?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Bellevue Hospital.

A landmark to say the least. Dating back to the Seventeenth Century, the hospital is the dream destination of every Ivy League medical school graduate. The main building stood an impressive twenty-five stories, and loomed over the neighborhood like a monolith of brick and concrete. No one ever wanted to go to a hospital, but if you had to, this was one of the best ones to go to.

But today, the normally busy campus was deserted, looking more like a mausoleum than a place where the sick and suffering were treated.

Yugi and his friends approached the main building and looked at it.

"Well guys," he said, "if this is the right place, I guess we should start by going in."

"We're right behind you," said Mary.

They entered the large foyer…

Suddenly, a large metal door slammed down behind them!

As they turned towards it, a second one slammed down in front of them! They were boxed in!

"Now what?" said Peter.

A feminine voice came from a speaker above them.

"Very good question Peter," she said. "Fear not, I'll let you up here soon, but not until we level the field a bit…"

"We don't have time for this," said Yugi.

"I have _plenty_," said the voice. "Now then Jade, place your sword, dagger, and anything else sharp on the floor and leave them there. You can retrieve them should you ever leave."

"Suppose I refuse?" said Jade.

"Then you can just starve in there," said the voice.

They all paused.

"I'm waiting…" said the voice. "I assure you, they will remain untouched."

"Okay, fine!" said Jade.

She removed her katana, wakisashi, and pouch full of shuriken and placed them on the floor. Then she turned to the speaker.

"May God help you if anyone steals them," she said.

"Of course," said the voice. "I am a woman of my word. Now you may enter."

The door in front of them opened.

"Just go straight, and take the elevator to the twelfth floor," said the voice.

"Well," said Mary. "We'll soon see who we're dealing with…"

They rode the elevator up the twelfth floor, and it opened onto a medical ward.

"Okay," said the voice. "Go to room 12-24, and you'll meet me there."

"Be alert guys," said Yugi.

Room 12-24 was easy to find. They opened it and found themselves in a very large operating room, where a large dueling station was set up in the middle. The station was floor-level, unlike most ones, which were elevated. Standing by it, filing her nails was the researcher from Remi's Research and Development lab. She didn't look up as they entered.

"Glad you could make it," she said. "Dr. Jezebel LeBec at your service… MD."

Yugi paused for a moment.

"You aren't an MD," he said with a sneer.

She looked at him, obviously, offended. "Oh course I am!" she said. "Want to see my sheepskin?!"

"You think I don't watch the news just because I'm a kid?" he said. "I've heard of you… you were expelled from the Harvard School of Medicine for cheating on exams, and then you sank even lower, working for the Mafia!"

"She's a crime doctor?" said Mary, offhand.

Jezebel gave them a dirty look.

"Yeah, until she was caught," said Yugi. "I can only assume Remi broke her out of jail."

"The term 'crime doctor' is such a nasty term," she sneered. "I prefer the term 'private contractor'. But organized crime didn't pay me enough… Remi promised me rewards beyond anything I could have dreamed of!"

"Did he tell you it would cost you your soul?" said Mary.

"I see no problem with _that_!" said Jezebel. "Now then Mary, it's time for an appointment… so step up to the table!"

She grinned a wicked grin.

"I'm not scared of you," said Mary, taking out her deck.

"That will soon change," said Jezebel.

"Mary," said Yugi, putting her hand on her shoulder.

She turned to him, and saw that his Puzzle had transformed him.

"Be careful," he said. "You know that these psychos play for keeps…"

"You'd think you'd know that I know that by now," said Mary.

She stepped up to her side of the platform and put her deck down. The first thing she immediately noticed was a large green monitor to her right, currently blank.

She then noticed that there was also one on the right side her opponent.

Odd, she thought.

"Now then," said Jezebel, "before we begin, we need some accessories… hold still now…"

Before Mary could respond, two robotic arms emerged from the station and grabbed her shoulders!

"Hey!" she said.

As she struggled to no avail, a trapdoor opened in the floor, and more mechanical arms came out. Very quickly, they fitted something that looked like a life jacket around her chest!

"What the?!" she said, pulling at the straps.

"Don't play with it," said Jezebel. "That accessory is for _your_ benefit. _This_ one isn't, however…"

One of the arms released her shoulder, and quickly grabbed her right arm. As she struggled, another arm came up and clasped a large iron bracelet to her wrist!

"Ow!" said Mary. She felt like something had stabbed her!

The arms released her. She tried to remove the bracelet, but it wouldn't budge. She saw a keyhole in it… and also a long tube. It had a great deal of slack, but it eventually vanished into the station.

"What's going on here, LeBec?!" said Yugi.

"Tell you in a minute," said Jezebel, taking off her lab coat.

At that point, more arms came out near her, and they quickly fitted her with the same devices.

"Okay," said Peter. "This is REALLY creepy…"

"Now then," said Jezebel, "let's go over the rules…"

She pushed a button, and the monitors next to them came to life.

"That jacket you have on is a very precise heart rate monitor. It's right now recording your heart rate on the screen next to you, just as mine is doing with the one next to me. Judging from yours, your heart is beating at a rate of about one hundred beats per minute… which is pretty much normal for a healthy girl of your age, height, weight, and build. The jackets are quite harmless…

"But the bracelets aren't. As you may have already guessed, they are actually variations of IV feed tubes. Now normally, an IV delivers blood or plasma into a sick person's bloodstream… once the duel begins, these ones will start a flow of a much more lethal substance…"

"Oh my God…" said Siegfried.

"A toxin of my own design," continued Jezebel, "which attacks the cardiovascular system… the heart and blood vessels, in case you didn't know. It works very slowly, but the speed in which it works is in direct proportion to the amount that is actually delivered. At its starting rate of flow, in your current state, death would occur after about forty minutes…

"HOWEVER, there's an additional factor here," she said with a smile. "If the heart rate monitor measures an increase in heart rate, the flow of toxin increases – the faster your heart pounds, the more you are poisoned. And by the way, it is a known scientific fact that when the heart beats faster, foreign substances are spread faster… and it's _another_ well-known fact that strong emotions like anger and fear cause a flow of adrenaline that causes the heart to beat faster…"

"So the goal is simply to control your emotions?" said Mary.

"Exactly," said Jezebel. "And there are two ways to win this duel… one, the normal way, in which case the loser will simply be left to die, and two, by letting the poison do its work, in which case the loser's heart will stop and her screen will register what we like to call in this business a 'flatline' – in which case she'll be unconscious and dead about five minutes later…

"At either point, a secret compartment will open somewhere near the winner, containing a key to the IV shackle and the antidote to the toxin… not that I have any intention of losing. But take heart, Mary… should you lose, you'll at least have your friends to comfort you for the last miserable minutes of your life!"

She threw back her head and laughed.

"That fiend…" said Jade

"Any questions?" she said.

"One," said Jade. "Should you kill Mary, how do _you_ plan on getting out of here alive? I really don't need my sword to kill you…"

Jezebel smiled, as if she were expecting that. She quickly lifted up her skirt and pulled a gun out a holster. She pointed it at them, and Yugi and the others backed up.

"When you work for organized crime, you learn a few things," said Jezebel. "Now all of you, sit down, and any sudden moves will get you a piece of lead in the skull!"

They sat down. Jezebel placed the gun on her console, easily within reach.

"I'll say it again, Mary," she said. "Any questions?"

"No," she said. "So let's just do it, 'kay?"

Inside her mind, Jezebel chuckled.

Little Mary doesn't even know half the danger she is in, she thought. I'm not only an expert in all things medical, I'm also a master of all forms of _torture_. I know several ways to make a victim scream in terror. Thus, my dueling deck is packed with the most horrifying Monsters in the dueling world!

On the other hand, a good torturer knows the best ways to keep calm no matter what happens to her… there's _nothing_ that Mary could summon or do that could possibly scare _me_. I'll bring her heart to a flatline in eight turns at most!

She pushed a button; the station hummed to life, and the scores were set to 2,000 apiece.

"The game is set," she said. "The IV drip has begun to flow, so…"

"DUEL!!" they both said.

"Guess I'll go first," said Jezebel, after making her draws. "And opening moves don't come any better than this! King of Yamimakai, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a burst of lightning appeared on the field. The blocky, eyeless Fiend appeared, and sparks flew from his claws! (2,000/1,530)

The King of Yamimakai growled, and saliva dripped from his jaws…

That's it, thought Jezebel, looking at Mary. Scream… scream in horror…

Mary didn't flinch. Her heart rate monitor barely changed at all.

"Humph," said Mary. "I really hope you have something better than _that,_ or destroying you isn't going to be any fun at all."

She put a card down. "One card facedown," she said. "And I'll summon the Baby Dragon in Defense Mode."

She placed down the card, and the tiny, cute dragon bounced onto the field. (1,200/700)

"Is she going to…" said Jade.

"Yes!" whispered Yugi. "Now shush!"

Jezebel was shocked at Mary's resolve, but she regained her composure.

"Right," she said. "You put a throwaway Monster in Defense Mode and a facedown card. Like I'm going to fall for _that_. I'll simply put my own card facedown, and use this Equip to make my King of Yamimakai even stronger! Dark Energy!"

A hand holding a black sphere appeared on the field, and hurled it at the King of Yamimakai. He glowed, and his Attack power went up to 2,300.

"Beat that!" said Jezebel.

"I will," said Mary, picking up her facedown. "This was my Pot of Greed, by the way…"

She flipped it, and the laughing Pot of Greed appeared. Mary made two draws.

"Splendid," she said. "Now I'll summon the mighty Time Wizard!"

She put the card down, and the comical humanoid clock leapt up.

"Huh?" said Jezebel. "What does that contraption do?"

"This 'contraption', as you call it," said Mary, "will make my Dragon stronger and your Fiend weaker. Time Wizard, use Time Roulette now!"

The Time Wizard thrust his staff forward and the pointer began to spin.

"I hope this works…" said Jade. "If it doesn't Mary will be at the mercy of that Fiend… has her Wizard ever missed?"

"Well, once," said Yugi. "But she still won the duel…"

The arrow slowed…

And it landed on the bottom crown!

"Say!" said Mary, "I think that's the first time it's ever landed on the bottom!"

"_Time Magic!!_" shouted the Time Wizard. He raised his staff, and a whirlwind of energy appeared above the field. The Baby Dragon started to grow, and within moments, the Thousand Dragon took his place! (2,400/2,000).

"Ah, no biggie," said Jezebel.

"Oh?" said Mary. "Take a look at your Fiend!"

Jezebel did. The King of Yamimakai was bent over with age, and his scales were flaking… and worse, his Attack score was now at 1,600!

"My King of Yamimakai!" said Jezebel. "He's aged a century!"

"_Ten_ centuries, actually," said Mary. "Thousand Dragon, noxious nostrils gust!"

The Dragon blew its potent smokescreen at the Fiend, and he was blasted into dust. Jezebel's Life Points fell to 1,300.

"Lucky shot," said Jezebel, "but now I'll activate this facedown card… Shadow Spell!"

"Huh?" said Mary.

She flipped the card, and chains sprung out from all directions, ensnaring the Thousand Dragon. His Attack Power sank to 1,700.

Now, thought Jezebel, my King of Yamimakai might not have scared her, but this is even better.

"The Earl of Demise, in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and a ghastly-looking ghoul in tattered nobleman's clothing appeared, floating over the field. (2,000/700)

"Attack!" said Jezebel. The Earl raised a large sword and let out a ghostly moan; he beheaded the Thousand Dragon. Mary's Life Points fell to 1,700.

But, still, Mary's heart had barely changed its steady beat. Jezebel's eyes narrowed.

"Good," said Mary, "but not good enough. I summon the Flame Swordsman, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and her favorite Warrior leapt onto the grid. (1,800/1,600).

"And now, I'll give his sword a boost, with Salamandra!"

She put the Equip card down, and the Swordsman's blade burned like a furnace. His Attack power went up to 2,500.

"Go!" said Mary. "Flaming sword of battle!"

The Flame Swordsman leapt and brought his blade down on The Earl of Demise, burning the Fiend to ashes. Jezebel's Life Points fell to 800.

Mary looked at her right arm. Her veins in the arm were starting to show though her skin faintly, in black outlines.

Got to win fast, she thought. Poison's starting to work. Even if I can stay calm, can't resist it forever. At least she's in the same boat.

Indeed she was. Jezebel looked at her own arm, and her own veins were throbbing.

This is inconceivable… she thought. She's taken out two of my best Monsters without so much as a gasp… but I can do better…

She drew.

"I play De-Spell!" she said, putting the Spell Card down.

The flames vanished from the Flame Swordsman's sword, and his Attack power returned to 1,800.

"Now, Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

She put down a second card; the Cure Master appeared with his crystal, and her Life Points went up to 1,800.

"Now," she said, "Manticore of Darkness, in Attack Mode!"

A fiery explosion lit up her side of the grid, and a titanic Beast emerged with huge wings and the head of a lion arose! (2,300/1,000)

"Attack the Flame Swordsman!" she commanded. "Primal rage attack!"

The Manticore breathed a blast of fiery energy and annihilated the Flame Swordsman. Mary's Life Points went down to 1,200.

"Man," said Clive. "Look at that thing! What's Mary gonna do?"

"We need to have faith, Clive," said Mary. "And we must hope that Mary's actual heart is as strong as her spiritual one…"

"Oh, I'm beginning to get it," said Mary. "You're bringing out all this heavy artillery in order to purposely try to scare me…"

She drew.

"You'd best try harder. Red Eyes Black Dragon, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, a burst of black lightning shook the field, and the mighty Red Eyes rose into the air! (2,400/2,000).

"What?!" said Jezebel.

"Inferno fireball attack!" shouted Mary. The Red Eyes blasted its flaming breath, and the Manticore of Darkness was no more. Jezebel's Life Points were now at 1,700.

Jezebel slammed her fist on her console. "This is impossible!" she said. "I was monitoring you all during Clive's duel! Your heart was going a mile a minute!"

Mary paused.

"So," she said, "the truth comes out."

She stared at Jezebel.

"I'll admit to you, Jez," she said, "while I was watching Clive duel Randy, I _was_ rather terrified… and do you know why? Because a friend who I knew and loved had a good chance of losing his life. When Yugi, Clive, Peter, Jade, and Siegfried are in mortal danger, such things do frighten me… its called concern for others, something a woman like you probably can't comprehend. A pity… true doctors are supposed to feel concern for everyone.

"But you never considered that the whole situation would change when I was the one who was threatened. Sure I'm scared, but I can control it. I know I have to, because in any duel, not just this one, panicking just makes it worse. I have no one to worry about but myself now, so I can concentrate fully on the matters at hand."

She pointed to the others. "I'm pretty sure that they are feeling just the way I did during that duel with Randy. But no matter what scary Monster you summon, you aren't going to make me tremble in fear!

"I'm a lot stronger than you think."

"We'll see about that," said Jezebel, drawing. "Hmm."

She put a card down. "One card facedown…" she said. "And I'll summon The Bistro Butcher in Attack Mode."

A ropy Fiend with a hook for a hand carrying a cleaver appeared. (1,800/1,000)

"That will end my move," she said.

Okay, thought Mary. She either just placed a Trap or a very risky bluff. Either way, I can't risk my Red Eyes…

She drew.

This isn't any good.

"I'll just pass," she said. "Your move."

Jezebel chuckled.

"Tell me Mary," she said, making her draw. "Do you ever put much stock in urban legends?"

"Huh?"

"One of my favorite is the old legend about an insane serial killer known as Bloody Mary… you know how it goes, don't you? They say that in the dead of night, if you enter a room with a mirror, turn off the lights, and say the name 'Bloody Mary' into the mirror three times, she'll appear in the mirror right behind you… right before she buries her axe in your skull! The story is so terrifying that, despite the absurdity of it, few teenagers will even dare try it!"

"And all this means…?" said Mary.

"I'll show you," said Jezebel. "First, I'll summon the Succubus Knight in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and a red-costumed demoness with six arms appeared next to the Bistro Butcher. (1,650/1,300)

"And now," said Jezebel, "my facedown card…"

She lifted it up.

"A Polymerization card?" said Mary.

"That's right!" said Jezebel. "Prepare to meet the real Bloody Mary!"

She threw it down, and the two Monsters came together in a blur…

A flash of light struck the field, and a new Monster arose. She looked like a tall, blonde-haired teenager in a white dress and velvet gloves, but every part of her dress, skin, and hair were splattered with bloodstains, and she carried a huge, bloody axe! (2,900/1,900)

"Bloody Mary, attack the Red Eyes!" cried Jezebel. "Maniacal axe attack!"

The Fiend charged forward with her axe and slammed it into the Dragon's head! He fell with a loud crash. Mary's Life Points went down to 700. Bloody Mary laughed a wicked laugh.

"And I'll end by laying a card facedown," said Jezebel.

Mary herself held her head. Even worse, for the first time, the heart rate monitor beside her started to show an increase in beat.

She looked down at her arm. Her veins were growing darker, and the outlines were spreading all the way up her arm and into her shoulder. She had to win quickly!

"Okay," she said. "I'll admit that was a… truly demented move…"

"It won't be long now…" said Jezebel.

Mary regained her composure. Her heart started to slow again.

"Want to know a little secret, Jez?" she said. "I've beaten Panik…"

Jezebel stopped short. She started to shiver.

"What?!" she said. "You're lying!"

"It's true," said Yugi. "I saw it with my own eyes."

Inside Jezebel's head, she was aghast.

No one could have defeated Panik! she thought. He's the greatest master of intimidation the dueling world has ever known! This brat defeated him?! Must be a trick… but how could she have even known him if she didn't…

And then, her own monitor started to show an increase in heart rate… a serious one.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve there?" said Mary. "I know what you're thinking… if Panik couldn't scare me, what chance do YOU have? My turn now…"

She drew.

Hey… she thought. I usually just keep this guy in my deck for luck… but I could use him now to take down that maniac!

She put a card down. "I summon Swordsman of Landstar, in Attack Mode!" she said.

A small shape appeared on the field… it looked like a knight from a cartoon! (500/1,200)

Jezebel gave a weird look.

"What?!" she said. "Look Mary, if you're going to surrender, just say so and don't humiliate yourself!"

"I'm not surrendering," said Mary. "My Swordsman is going to blow Bloody Mary away!"

"With 500 Attack points?"

"Not for long," said Mary, taking a card from her hand. "I Equip him with the Buster Rancher!"

She put down the card, and a huge shape appeared next to the Swordsman. It was an enormous laser cannon, clearly five times bigger than he was!

He grabbed hold of the trigger.

"What the…?!" said Jezebel.

"Let me explain how the Buster Rancher Equip card works," said Mary. "It can only be equipped to Monsters with Attack power of 1,000 points or less, and only when the opponent they face is has 2,500 Attack points or more… but when those conditions are met, it increases the equipped Monster's Attack power by a whopping 2,500 points!"

The Swordsman's Attack shot up to 3,000!

"Swordsman of Landstar," said Mary, "attack with buster blast attack!"

The cannon fired with a thunderous blast, and Bloody Mary was sent hurtling backwards! She burst, only a few feet from where Jezebel was standing! As Jezebel covered her eyes, her Life Points went down to 1,600.

"Clever," said Jezebel, who was now sweating. "But since Bloody Mary was a Level 8 Monster, her destruction enables me to activate this facedown Spell Card…"

She flipped it over.

"A Deal With Dark Ruler!"

She put the card down, and an earthshaking explosion hit the field; a dark shape arose.

"Now meet the master of disaster," said Jezebel. "The engine of destruction known throughout the world as… The Berserk Dragon!"

The form took shape, revealing a huge, gaunt dragon with tangled white hair! (3,500/0)

Siegfried gasped.

"I've heard of this Monster!" he said. "It's bad news… it can attack any number of enemy Monsters at once!"

"Yes," said Yugi. "But it does have a weakness…"

"Berserk Dragon," said Jezebel, "Attack with blazing berserk breath!"

The Dragon shot a volley of flames from its maw, and incinerated the Swordsman. Mary's Life Points fell to 200.

Got to stay calm… thought Mary. Got to stay calm.

"Good lord," whispered Peter to Yugi. "Just look at Mary's face!"

They looked, and it wasn't pretty. The telltale outlines of her veins were starting to show on her neck and cheeks.

"How long have they been at this?" said Clive.

"About twenty minutes," said Yugi. "Mary might not have much time left…"

"I know the weakness of your Dragon," said Mary. "Every time he attacks, he loses 500 attack points, as you can plainly see!"

It was true. The Dragon's attack went down to 3,000.

"So then," said Mary, "I'm first going to use Red Medicine…"

She put down the card, and her Life Points rose to 700.

Now I'm just going to lay a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

"Even weakened, he'll be more than a match for anything you summon!" said Jezebel. "Berserk Dragon, attack that hidden Monster!"

The Dragon let loose its flames…

The Magician of Faith appeared where the card had been put down, and she was obliterated.

"What?!" said Jezebel.

"Gotcha!" said Mary. "Now, not only is your Dragon down to 2,500 Attack points, but since you killed my Magician of Faith, I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard…"

She picked one.

"And my choice is the Pot of Greed!"

She put the card down, and the Pot of Greed appeared again. She made two more draws.

"Splendid," said Mary. "Now I'm going to activate THIS Spell Card!"

She held up a card bearing an image of three swords crossed.

"A Ritual Card?!" said Jezebel.

"One known as Garma Sword Oath!" said Mary, putting it down. "And so, I offer from my hand three Warriors: Zanki, Hero of the East, and Swordstalker!"

She put down the cards; the three Warriors appeared, raised their blades, and lightning struck them, they vanished, and a dark shape arose. A huge Warrior appeared, with six arms, each one holding a nasty sword! (2,550/2,150).

"Meet Garma Sword!" said Mary, "But I'll make him better, by equipping him with Horn of the Unicorn!" She put the card down, and the horn appeared on the Warrior's forehead, bringing his Attack score to 3,250.

"Attack!" said Mary. "Sextuple scimitar slash!"

The Garma Sword pounced, and the Berserk Dragon was sliced to pieces! Jezebel's Life Points were reduced to 900.

"And finally, one card facedown," she said.

Jezebel was very nervous now. Her heart was beating quicker, and she knew it. She could see for herself from the blood vessels on her arms that her own trap was working against her. She gazed at Mary with hate. She drew.

No matter how powerful that creature is, she thought, it will be small potatoes when I use this card to summon the most terrifying abomination that my deck can produce! We'll soon see how brave she is once I bring it forth…

"Mary!" she said. "Your Ritual Monster is no match for my own! Behold the card known as the Curse of the Masked Beast!"

She held up a card bearing the image of a frightening altar with flaming blue torches surrounding it.

"Oh no…" said Yugi.

Jezebel put it down, and the altar appeared. "To complete this ceremony, I offer Worm Drake and Nuvia the Wicked from my hand, to call forth a power straight from the depths of Hell!"

She put the cards down, and two slug-like beings appeared next to the altar. They were consumed by flames, and a gargantuan shape walked out from the flames.

"I give you," she said, "The Masked Beast!"

It was centurion in shape, but seemed more insect-like than horse-like. It wore an ugly mask, and carried a huge club! (3,200/1,800)

"And I'll make it stronger by equipping it with my second Dark Energy card!" she said, putting it down. The Masked Beast's Attack score rose to 3,500.

"Attack the Garma Sword!" said Jezebel. "Bestial bash attack!"

The Masked Beast trampled forwards, and smote the Garma Sword. His six swords fell to the ground with a clatter, and he fell. Mary's Life Points fell to 450.

Mary was shaken. Her heart rate monitor was now showing a definite increase. Her skin was starting to turn purple. She had one card in her hand, and it wasn't a Monster card!

Whatever I draw, she thought, it had best be the best one yet… I may not have time for another turn.

She drew.

"I'm playing this card, witch," she said. "Monster Reborn!"

"It doesn't matter what Monster you bring back," said Jezebel, "I'll just…"

"Not even THIS one?" said Mary.

Another explosion shook the grid, and the Berserk Dragon appeared on Mary's side!

His original stats were reset, and now stood at 3,500/0.

"D'aah!" screamed Jezebel. But then she smiled. "What are you going to do, he and my Beast have the same Attack score!.

"Really?" said Mary. "First I'll activate my facedown Trap card, Skull Dice!"

She flipped it over, and an imp with a red dice appeared. He rolled it, and it came up a five. The Masked Beast's Attack score went down to 3,000.

"NO!!" said Jezebel. Her heart rate monitor began to jump drastically.

"Now, I use the final card in my hand," said Mary. "Graceful Dice!"

She put it down, and a teddy bear appeared with a blue dice. He rolled it, and it came up a four. The Berserk Dragon's attack score was now 3,900.

Jezebel gazed in horror as the Dragon rose to attack. Her heart was now beating off the scale.

"Do the math, Jez," said Mary. "You've lost. Berserk Dragon, blazing berserk breath attack!"

Jezebel screamed as the Dragon's breath weapon blew the Masked Beast away, reducing Jezebel's Life Points to zero.

When the smoke cleared, Mary saw that her foe had collapsed. The poison had done her in – her monitor was reading a flatline.

"Come on, now," said Mary, as her friends got up. "Any time…"

A hidden drawer under her console popped open. Inside were a small key, and a test tube full of red liquid.

"Here," said Yugi to her. "Sit down."

He carefully fitted the key into the lock of the IV shackle and removed it. Clive grabbed the liquid and uncorked it.

"Here," he said, "drink slowly…"

The liquid tasted awful, but Mary forced it down. Her friends took her to a corner and made her sit. She held her head worrying. What if the antidote was a fake? she thought. Remi was just the sort of person who would play such a nasty trick…

For a tense fifteen minutes, Yugi hugged her as they waited…

But after fifteen minutes, the purple color went away, and soon the discolored veins resumed their healthy state. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Man," said Mary. "Don't want to ever do something like that again… I don't like doctors as it IS…"

"Well, that was the Mary we all know," said Peter. "Nerves of steel! I don't think I would have been able to keep my cool up there… What if she had chosen me to…"

"The world is full of 'what if' conundrums," said Jade. "But as it seems there is no obvious note from Remi yet as to our next destination, and it is late, I propose we stay here for the night. After all, what place could be safer than a hospital?

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That seemed reasonable. They went back down to the lobby and retrieved Jade's weapons (which she used to cut Mary out of the jacket) and found some beds that served their purposes.

Clive inspected the gun that Jezebel had threatened them with, and found that it had not even been loaded; a mere bluff that she had used to intimidate them. He was both disappointed and relieved; while it would have been useful, he'd have been afraid to use it.

Outside on the street, a man appeared and looked up at the hospital.

"You have truly proven yourselves warriors of great skill, my friends," he said. "Rest easy, for tomorrow you will find that an ally awaits you in this unholy land…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLOODY MARY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Fusion/Effect

**Attribute:** Dark

**Level:** 8

**ATK:** 2,900

**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description: **_The Bistro Butcher + Succubus Knight_

Control of this card cannot switch. This card cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard by the opposing player.


	18. Histories and Mysteries

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**Chapter Seventeen**

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**Histories and Mysteries**

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It was early the next morning. Remi took hold of his siphon.

"Well, good riddance, Jezebel," he said, as he fed her Life Force into the gem. "I never liked you much anyway."

The counter went up to 9.08%. "Figures," he said.

He picked up a cell phone a dialed a number.

"Earl," he said into it. "How are you and Frank doing up there?"

"Well, it's coming along kinda slow…" said a voice. "We're having some problems installing the laser-field matrix, and the main support beams are giving us trouble…"

"Don't give me the details!" said Remi. "I want that station up and ready ASAP!"

"Hey, you want to try working under these conditions?" said the voice. "We're having a hard time keeping the blueprints from blowing away!"

"So nail them down!" said Remi. "I don't like delays, Earl!"

"Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day!" said Earl.

"It would have been if I was paying them," sneered Remi. "And to give you some added incentive, I'm sending Mantra to… 'supervise.' Any more delays, and you can explain to _him_ the reasons!"

There was a long silence.

"WELL?!" said Remi.

"It will be done by tomorrow morning, tops," said Earl.

"Good," said Remi. He hung up.

"So hard to find good help these days…" he muttered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, his enemies were in a visitor's cafeteria in the Bellevue Hospital, finding anything they could eat. The food in the refrigerators had spoiled, but the vending machines still had some edible things in them. The coffee machine still worked, and they were all glad that Peter never went anywhere without a great deal of quarters – Jade offered to force them open, but Yugi said there was no need for that now.

As they ate a makeshift breakfast of coffee, soda, candy bars, and potato chips, Yugi suddenly looked up.

"Guys…" he said.

Jade stood up too.

"I sense it too, Yugi…" she said.

"Danger?" said Mary. "One of Remi's tricks?"

"No," said Jade. "Something different… some other source of great power… something I have never felt before…"

Before them, a swirling vortex of light opened on the floor. Jade drew her sword.

He arose from the vortex, and the six of them gave pause. The six mortal beings had never seen this robed, turbaned man who now stood before them…

But one person in the room had… the Spirit who resided within Yugi's mind. But strangely, the Spirit was now silent.

Shadi looked at each of them in turn. He didn't say a word. Yugi's eyes fell to the ankh hanging around his neck…

"The Millennium Key!" he gasped.

"Aw, another Millennium Item?" said Siegfried. "This is getting out of hand…"

Jade raised her sword.

Shadi chuckled. "You are very knowledgeable young Yugi," he said. "Put the katana away, Jade, I mean no harm."

"Do I know you?" said Yugi.

"In a way," said Shadi. "I know the other 'you'. We met long ago…"

"You… you met my father?" said Yugi.

"Yes," said Shadi. "We first met when he was no older than you were."

"What?!" said Mary. "But you can't be any older than…"

"I am much older than you'd believe Mary," said Shadi. "My name is Shadi… the Guardian of the Millennium Items."

He crossed the room to the soda machine and placed a set of quarters into the slot.

"So, now what?" said Clive.

"Whoever this man is," said Jade. "I would be wary… he may not pose a threat, but then again, he may very well pose a great one."

Shadi opened the can of cola and took a swig. He chuckled again. "Almost forgot what that tasted like," he said. "Where I am from, luxuries such as this are almost impossible to obtain…"

"What do you want?" said Yugi.

"We share an enemy in common, young Yugi," said Shadi. "Have you even stopped to wonder why the Heir of Marik is putting so much energy into trying to kill you?"

"Well, no," said Yugi.

"Or perhaps why if he wants to kill you, he simply doesn't send someone to cut your throats in your sleep," said Shadi, "rather than waste time with these silly duels?"

"Hey, last night wasn't 'silly' from my point of view!" said Mary.

"Indeed," said Shadi. "I do not know exactly what method Remi is using to achieve his goal, but I believe I may know the actual goal. When New York was enveloped in Shadow, I came… such an enormous breach between this world and the Shadow Realm I could not ignore. And when I came, I felt a presence I have never felt… but I knew what it was…"

He pulled up a seat.

"Gather around me everyone, and I will begin at the beginning…"

They all sat down.

"Let me take you on a journey to the ancient past," he said, "where only beginnings existed…"

He raised his hand, and clasped it shut. All of a sudden, the six mortals saw things… visions that took shape as Shadi spoke… visions of titanic, primal entities and the shaping of reality as it was millions of years ago.

Shadi began.

"Long before the birth of mortals," he said, "when the Earth was forming from cosmic dust, when chaos was the only dominant force, there arose from the heart of the universe a being of unimaginable power. His true name was known only to himself, but eons later, mortals would call him Re. His face shone brighter than a thousand suns, and his arms spread across galaxies with one breadth. Re's first thought was simply, 'I am.' And it was true enough.

"But the great Re felt loneliness soon after his birth. The young Earth held only the most primitive life, and he had no one to share his grand empire of the cosmos with. So, he used a portion of himself, and created a god and a goddess, incredibly powerful beings of air and rain whom he named Shu and Tefnut. Thus, the first children of Re's legacy were created.

"When Shu and Tefnut saw each other, sibling love turned to true love, and they embraced. Their union was fruitful, and Tefnut bore her husband two children… Geb, the spirit of the earth, and Nut, the spirit of the sky. Thus, the third generation of Re's lineage was born, and his divine family grew. Geb and Nut were not as powerful as their parents, but they were still beings of unimaginable might.

"And the cycle continued once more. Geb and Nut fell smitten with each other soon after their creation, just as their parents had. Sky and Earth embraced, and this time the result was four children, born on the same day. The first to be born were the brothers Osiris, followed by Set, then their sisters, Isis, and finally Nephthys.

"It was apparent right from the start that one of these children, the one named Set, would be destined to cause the family woe. When born, he savagely tore himself free of his mother's womb, falling upon the earth as a feral and wild thing. Re looked at him with suspicion, but he did not reject his great-grandson… he gave all four of them positions in his empire, and they all formed the Great Pharonicy, a powerful group whom the people of Egypt would pay tribute to millennia later. Osiris took Isis as a consort, while Set took Nephthys as his.

"Centuries passed, and the family lived more or less in harmony. They watched life grow on the developing Earth; more gods and goddesses of lesser power joined them from other locales, and their hierarchy, it seemed, would last forever.

"But Re knew he could not serve as ruler forever… he would one day have to leave the universe for higher realms. Shu and Tefnut had no desire to ever take his place, and neither did Geb or Nut. Thus, he named as his heir-apparent Nut's firstborn offspring, Osiris, a duty that the young god would willingly accept.

"But this did not sit well with Nut's second-born offspring, Set. His jealous mind thought it was only luck that his brother had been born first, and Set thought, in his endless ego, that he would make a greater ruler than his brother ever would. Knowing that he couldn't become heir while his brother lived, he formed a sinister plot.

"Because few in his family trusted him, Set tricked his wife Nephthys into leading Osiris into a carefully prepared trap. She was to invite her brother to what both she and Osiris believed would be no more than a friendly breaking of bread. But set proceeded to get Osiris drunk, and when he was completely inebriated, he struck. Before Nephthys's horrified eyes, Set slew his brother, cowardly stabbing him in the back and tearing him asunder.

"With tears in her eyes, feeling she was at fault, Nephthys seized the body of Osiris, and fled, bringing him to her sister Isis. The prospect was grim. They knew that Set's wicked plan could not be made to succeed, lest all of creation collapse into evil. Together, they formed a desperate plan.

"Both of the goddesses sacrificed a part of their souls into the body of Osiris, enough to revive him to life for one night. At that time, Isis embraced her husband, and his seed took root.

"When Osiris departed again, his spirit took on a new role – that of the powerful Judge of the Dead. But he could no longer be Re's heir in his new role.

"In the meantime, Set used clever lies and false alibis to cover his murderous deed. Even with a witness to the crime, no concrete proof of murder existed – Set had done too good a job covering his tracks. Even Osiris's new incarnation, when contacted, could not say for certain how it had happened, having been inebriated. Set's honeyed tongue convinced even Re that Osiris's death had been a tragic accident. Reluctantly, and to the horror of all the assembled gods, Re named Set his new heir, having little choice. Nephthys divorced her husband, swearing she would oppose him at every turn, and began to secretly work with Isis on their new plan.

"It would all be worth it if their plan succeeded… Isis would create a new heir.

"Soon, Isis gave birth to a son, the god who was then called Horus. This young god grew much slower than his parents and grandparents, and Isis carefully kept him hidden from her evil brother. Eventually, Horus reached adulthood, and Isis presented him to her great-grandfather.

"Naturally, Set was aghast. If a son of Osiris existed, Set could no longer be Re's heir. And thus a terrible time erupted among the gods. Set first tried political manipulation to maintain his status. Eventually, he attacked his nephew outright, and the two battled numerous times. The heavens trembled under the fury of their blows. Re watched in dismay as his descendents clashed, unsure what decision he had to make…

"Eventually, the matter was settled when Osiris himself made a stand, sending word from the afterlife that he would send a plague of ravenous dead spirits upon the young world should his son be denied his proper title. The whole Pharonicy quaked in fear, and even Re knew he had no choice. He gave Horus the title of heir-apparent, forbidding Set from ever even mentioning the subject again.

"Defeated and burning with fury, Set retreated to a hellish realm known as the Twelve Hours of Night, where he consorted with demons and became a more horrid thing than ever. For a while, at least, he thought it better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven. Meanwhile, Horus eventually did ascend to Re's throne, taking the name Re-Horakhty, and becoming a million times more powerful than before. All this time, Set writhed with envy. He hated having to acknowledge his hated nephew as his superior, but he had no choice.

"Eventually, mortal civilization began to flourish, and the gods begot worshippers. Even Set was given tribute, although only by mad or truly evil men. Men and women feared him as the incarnation of evil and disasters. An idea eventually came to his dark heart… if he could not rule the heavens, he could rule the Earth that was ruled by the heavens.

"Rumors abound that Set was one of the forces that introduced the deadly Shadow Games to mortals, and opened numerous portals to the Shadow Realm. He wasn't the only contributor, but he was a major one. Even after the creation of the Millennium Items, which ended most threats, Set's evil plans continued. Wars were fought that he began, cities fell under evil magic, and mad cults sprung over the earth. Set walked the land for a time, and his servants snatched victims for him to feed upon, victims whose souls he could devour and fuel his vile magic with.

"Finally, a young but powerful priestess who served Re-Horakhty by the name of Shava-Ka confronted the demon. She was armed with a potent weapon… this very Item." (Shadi pointed to his Millennium Key.) "Even so, Set would prove to be a dangerous foe. Knowing that she was risking her very soul to the demon's great hunger, the brave priestess invaded his greatest temple on a day when the face of Sol shone bright in a cloudless sky and the power of Re-Horakhty gazed through it like a beacon. She was attacked by waves of cultists, but they all fell to her sword. She then faced a mob of ferocious crocodile demons, who ruthlessly attacked. It seemed like the end of her when she was swallowed whole by their enormous leader, but she slashed her way out of the beast's stomach, and the rest of them fled.

"Covered with gore from the demon's body, Shava-Ka pressed on, and finally, the immense form of Set himself appeared. Laughing at the young mortal, Set prepared to rip her soul from her body and devour it, just as he did to countless other mortal victims…

"But to the demon's surprise, his blasphemous spell failed. With the Key's power, Shava-Ka used a mighty spell of imprisonment, which banished Set from the world… forever.

"Or so she had hoped."

Shadi's hand opened, and his listeners came back to awareness.

"Wow," said Peter.

"That was ancient history," said Shadi. "More recent history is less accurate. Yugi, as you know, your father opposed the original Marik…"

"Yes…" said Yugi.

"But Marik was cured of his madness," said Shadi, "and what you don't know is that many of his evil plans went unfinished. I believed back then than Marik was seeking a way to free Set from his ancient prison… Why, I do not know. To gain power from some infernal deal was most likely.

"But now, as you know," he continued, "a man calling himself the Heir of Marik now holds you prisoner. And I fear that Remi seeks to continue this mad plan, and bring Set to Earth."

At that point, Shadi related his encounter with Remi in his Castle; how he had played the Shadow Game of Prophecy.

"When I entered the Castle," said Shadi, "I recognized Set's evil influence. Despite what I told Remi, I knew that I was no match for him in his Castle. Thus, I challenged him to the game. My first plan was hopefully to defeat him in the game, so that I could slay him that way… but he managed to control his anger and refrain from touching me. I resorted to my alternate plan, hoping that the prophecy itself would show him the folly of his plans, and convince him to abandon them… but that too failed. Remi was too determined."

"I do not know how he plans to free Set, or even where Set is right now, but if his plans succeed, the world is in grave peril. For all we know, Remi is communicating with the dark god right now, and gaining power from him…"

"That's likely how he managed to imprison a whole city," said Mary, slowly.

"Indeed," said Shadi. "Sending the entire population of New York to the Shadow Realm is far beyond the power of the any Millennium Item, and while his Castle is a mighty magical artifact in its own right, even that could not do the job alone."

"So what do we do?" said Clive. "How can you help us?"

Shadi reached into his robe.

"There is one thing that will help you should Set ever be actually freed," he said. "Do you know why Set could not take Shava-Ka's soul?"

He took six circular items out of his robe. They looked like headbands made of gold, each topped by a golden hawk.

"These tiaras were forged by Shava-Ka's underlings," he continued, "made after praying to Re-Horakhty for twenty days for the express purpose of combating Set. Shava-Ka was wearing one when she confronted him. When you wear one, his evil power cannot harm you…

"But their power will not last forever. Once you put one on, it will protect you for a few hours at most. Eventually, their magic will fail… so if Set is freed, you must find a way to put him back quickly. And might I add., Set cannot be killed by any mortal method. An army could not slay him. Only a deity of equal or greater power could truly end his life… but recruiting such help is impossible. Set's peers are more benign than he is, and they would never come to the mortal realm themselves, even to combat him. Doing so would only lead to the deaths of innocents, and they know it. If he is freed, you simply must try to put him back… if you can.

"Unfortunately, I do not yet know how he is imprisoned, and until I know that, the way to do such a thing is beyond my knowledge. Thus, you must try your hardest to defeat Remi and prevent his release at all."

Each of them took one of the headbands.

"It's not much," said Peter.

"Well, it is better than nothing," said Shadi.

"He is right," said Jade. "Just remember people, we must not waste a second of their power."

"Indeed," said Shadi. "Only use them when and if you must."

He got up.

"If I find a way to aid you again," he said, "I certainly will. But I am no duelist. You must defeat Remi's minions and fight your way into the Castle yourself. Do whatever you can to prevent him from completing his mad goals."

The vortex opened at his feet, and he began to vanish.

"Good luck duelists," he said. "Know that from this point on, the blessing of Re-Horakhty is with you."

He was gone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They raided all the vending machines they could find (forcing them open was necessary after all), and an hour later, they were out on the street. They looked up at the Castle.

The Millennium Puzzle glowed, and Yugi changed.

"We must know more," he said.

"If only it was possible to question Remi's henchmen," said Mary. "But all the ones we've met are willing to die if they lose…"

"All but one," said Jade.

They turned to her. She was holding the Lamp of Obedience.

"Your sister!" said Mary. "I'd forgotten about her!"

"Yugi," said Jade. "What do you know about this thing?"

"I know a little," said Yugi. "These magic items were mainly used in the justice system of ancient Egypt, used on hardened criminals who needed to be taught a lesson. They were made by priests of Thoth, a deity devoted to justice, among other things.

"I heard of one interesting story involving a trial involving one of these lamps… a woman was raped, but she survived, and had the courage to testify against her attacker. Normally, the penalty for rape was death by impalement… but the judge presiding over the case thought up a more fitting punishment. He ordered the man imprisoned in one of these lamps, and then the lamp given to his victim.

"Unfortunately, the story does not go further than that."

"So," said Jade. "What sort of power does it give me over Amber?"

"Complete power," said Yugi. "She must do whatever you tell her to – she'll be incapable of rebelling or disobeying you in the slightest. If you tell her to tie a rock around her neck and jump into the sea, she'll have no choice but to do so. And should the lamp be destroyed, she will die."

"Well, I won't go that far…" said Jade. "But maybe I can teach her a little lesson called 'humility'. Mary?"

"Yeah?"

"You think you can help me get this armor off?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, Jade had removed her armor and changed into a more comfortable _gi_ which she used for training. Clive and Peter set the heavy equipment on the sidewalk.

"Now then," said Jade, picking up the lamp, "come on out, sister!"

She stroked the lamp, and a gust of smoke came out. Amber was dumped onto the sidewalk.

On her forehead was an odd symbol… a gold ziggurat (two stepped pyramid).

"What's that on her forehead?" said Clive.

"One of Thoth's symbols," said Yugi. "It's the symbol of her enslavement."

Amber looked up at Jade in fear.

"Jade, please, have mercy!" she said. "It's so… dark in there… dark, cold, quiet…"

Jade slapped her.

"Too bad!" she said. "You set the rules of the game, you cheated, you lost! You are mine now, I own you! And you are going to do as you are told, understand?"

Amber sobbed, and nodded.

"Be a good slave and I won't make you go back in there right away," said Jade.

She took out a large bottle of car polish and a handful of rags out of her satchel. She threw them at Amber.

"Now my armor is filthy and you are going to clean it until it shines! Get going!"

Tears were still flowing from Amber's eyes, but she immediately got up and went to the stacked pile of armor.

"This might take a while," said Jade. "Anybody want to play Twenty Questions?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Three hours later, Jade checked on Amber.

"Very good," she said. "Course, I could have done it in thirty minutes…"

Amber frowned.

"Don't frown at me!" said Jade.

Amber quickly smiled.

"Man, this is fun!" said Siegfried.

"Indeed," said Jade, sitting down. "Say Amber, we're all bored… how about you sing for us?"

Amber sighed. "Can I chose the song?" she asked.

"No!" said Jade. "The song will be Don McLean's 'American Pie,' in its entirety! Gather round everyone!"

Amber moaned.

"Now!" said Jade.

As Amber started, Jade spoke to the others. "If any of you have any requests, just let me know…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

About an hour later, Jade had made her sing "Piano Man," "Candle in the Wind," "Leroy Brown," "Nowhere Man," and "The Sound of Silence" (that one was Yugi's request), and Amber was quite out of breath.

"You have a great singing voice," said Yugi, with a smile.

Amber merely struggled to catch her breath.

Jade took a can of soda out of her satchel that they had gotten from the cafeteria and threw it at her.

"Here!" she said. "Refresh yourself. Go sit in the corner over there while you drink it… meanwhile, I'll decide whether I'm going to put you back in the lamp or make you strip off your clothes and dance for these boys…"

Amber started to cry again, and sat down in the corner.

"Uh, Jade…" said Yugi, taking her aside. "I think that might be crossing the line a little…"

"Don't worry Yugi," she said, "that was an empty threat. Besides, I think if she hasn't leaned her lesson by now, she never will. We'll find out what info we can from her, and then one more thing should make her see the light. Yugi, how does one break the spell on this lamp?"

"You must hold it in your left hand, place your right hand on her forehead where the symbol is, and say, 'I release'."

Jade turned to her sister. "Okay, Amber, about face!"

She stood up, still crying.

"Jade, please, I beg you, don't make me…" she started.

"Quiet!" said Jade. "We want information, and you're going to give it to us!"

"In… information?" she said.

"Yes," said Jade. "Were you ever brought to the Castle of Dark Illusions?"

"Yes," said Amber. "A woman who called herself Circe brought me there. One minute I was at home in Beverly Hills, the next minute I was in the Castle, where Remi told me…"

"We know what Remi told you," said Jade. "That all you needed to do was beat me in a rigged duel and I would be your slave… a situation you always dreamed of, was it not?"

"I'm… I'm sorry?" said Amber.

"Next question," said Jade. "Did he mention a person named Set?"

Amber searched he mind.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Did he mention any strange words or phrases that you did not understand?"

"Um…" said Amber. "He told me that all of his employees, myself included, would have to pledge allegiance to someone called 'The Lord of the Twelve Hours of Night.' I didn't know what it meant, but it sounded kind of cool…"

"The Lord of the Twelve Hours of Night," said Yugi. "Clearly one of Set's titles."

"Anything else he instructed you on?" said Jade.

Amber paused.

"He made it clear he wouldn't help me if I lost…" said Amber. "He said that he gave no second chances… to anyone."

Clive jumped in. "Why the heck did you take such a dumb risk then?!"

Amber didn't answer.

"Answer him, Amber!" said Jade.

"I dunno," said Amber. "I guess I was just dumb… and greedy… and jealous of you… oh, I made the worst mistake I ever made…"

She started to sob in earnest.

"Crying will not help!" said Jade. "I will let you know, big sister, that had I lost, I would never have cried, nor would I have begged you for mercy like you have been doing for the past four hours! No matter what humiliation and torture you had planned for me, you never would have broken my spirit! Now stop crying and act like a grown woman!

"Now, one last question," continued Jade. "Was their anything unusual that you saw in the Castle?"

"Where to begin?" said Amber. "I only saw his throne room, but it was crowded with exotic antiques and precious things, stuff from China, Europe, Egypt…

"Oh yeah, and there was the gem… that really creeped me out…"

"A gem?" said Jade.

"It was placed in an alcove," said Amber. "A huge gem, as big as I was. It wasn't pretty at all – it was dark and ugly, a jewel that looked… well, evil. The strange thing is, when Remi told me swear that oath of allegiance, he told me to face the thing when I said it…"

"And?" said Jade.

"When I looked upon it, a… cold spell came over me, and I suddenly felt dirty… as if a mild rash were covering me. The 'rash' didn't go away even though I managed to ignore it… it was present all through the duel with you. But when I was sucked into the lamp, I eventually noticed that it was gone… although now I was much worse off…"

"Thank you, Amber," said Jade, soberly, "you've helped us a lot…"

She picked up the lamp and held it in her left hand.

"No…" begged Amber. "Please, let me stay out for just a little longer… I'll even do the striptease if you want…"

"Stand still," said Jade.

She placed her right hand on Amber's forehead. "I release," she said.

The lamp glowed, and the ziggurat vanished from Amber's forehead.

Amber starred in amazement.

"W-why?" said Amber.

"Because," said Jade. "I follow _bushido_, Amber, a concept which I recall you made fun of many times. Among the many tenants of the Code, it demands that the Samurai enact justice… but it also demands that the Samurai express mercy, a gift which I have no doubt you would never have shown me.

"Learn from this Amber. I would very much liked to have kept you enslaved for the rest of your miserable life, and I well could have. I have no doubt you would have done so to me if I had lost. But I didn't, simply because that is a thing done by evil creatures."

She took a set of keys out her pocket and handed them to Amber.

"Go to the corner of 23rd Street and 9th Avenue; it's an hour's walk from here. That's where the dojo was where I was staying before the city was enspelled. You'll find food and a place to sleep – neither are especially luxurious, but they will let you survive. Lock the doors, and do not leave unless you run out of food and water. Do not open the doors to anyone except me, and _only_ then…"

She paused.

"You will call out to me using the nickname our mother called me when we were kids, and I will respond with the one she used to call you. Only then will you open the door."

"Uh, okay," said Amber, still trying to get over the shock.

"Oh," said Jade, taking something out of her bag. "Here's your deck… I've been saving it for you… but I warn you, Amber, should you ally yourself with Remi again, you will receive no mercy from me a second time…"

"Wouldn't think of it…" said Amber, taking the deck. She slowly stared to walk away, towards the location Jade described.

Jade picked up the lamp. She tossed it in the air, drew her sword, and struck it. It burst into a shower of sparks.

"One less thing to worry about, I guess," said Peter.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now two in the afternoon.

"A gemstone…" said Clive. "A huge, black, evil gemstone. Can anyone say 'smoking gun'?"

"Chances are," said Siegfried, "Set is inside that gem… or it's some sort of conduit to wherever he is… or something like that."

"Still, there are some things left unanswered," said Yugi. "The duels, the deathtraps… why Remi needs them, and just why he needs _us_ in particular…

"And just who the hell Remi _is_ in the first place…"

Siegfried looked up all of a sudden. "Just out of curiosity, Jade, when you and Amber were kids, what did your mother…"

Jade blushed.

"I was Shining Friendship," she said, "and Amber was Petite Angel."

"Really?" said Yugi. "Then maybe when Remi forced you to duel me…"

"Yes," said Jade. "You did not know it, but trying to break Remi's spell using that Fairy did a great deal of help. It brought back memories… memories of an innocent childhood before the path of the warrior called to me…"

Suddenly, a rock hit her on the head! She yelped.

"Jade!" said Peter.

"It is all right," she said . "I have taken worse injuries…"

"A rock," said Peter. "With a note tied to it…"

"One of Remi's clues!" said Jade.

She opened up the folded paper and read.

_The nation's greatest avatar_

_Who welcomes folks from lands afar;_

_Come here if you've nerve to spar._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At another part of the city, a demonic figure shuffled through a deck of cards.

The figure gestured with a clawed hand, and a card appeared in it, as if by magic. The figure looked at the shiny silver Monster on it.

"Perfect," said the figure. "My new deck is complete. Forty cards, all specially tailored to give my chosen opponent one of the biggest surprises of his life. Once Yugi and his friends arrive, there will be no escape this time…"

Laughter echoed over the city, as the six friends pondered the riddle.


	19. Third Time’s the Charm

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Third Time's the Charm**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_The nation's greatest avatar_

_Who welcomes folks from lands afar;_

_Come here if you've nerve to spar._

"Avatar?" said Peter. "Isn't that a computer term?"

"It has another meaning, dating back to Indian religious beliefs," said Jade. "It was used to mean the aspect of a deity, a creature who served a god who symbolized him or her. It basically means a mortal incarnation of a greater power."

"So we need to find the nation's – America's – avatar…" said Siegfried. "America is definitely a greater power… but what building is its 'mortal incarnation?' I'd say the White House, but this isn't Washington… Maybe we should look for another building that's white…"

"The White House and most other Washington offices represent politics," said Yugi. "America means much more than that."

Mary's eyes fell upon a corner souvenir stand, where a stack of postcards caught her eye.

Her eyes opened wide. She rushed over and took one.

"Guys she's right in front of us!" she said.

"She?" said Yugi.

The looked at the postcard, and it was indeed a she.

The Statue of Liberty. No greater avatar of the true spirit of America existed.

"Good work, Mary!" said Yugi.

His Puzzle once again activated.

"Let's go people!" he said. "Time to catch a ride on the Staten Island Ferry!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Statue of Liberty. She was one New York's most popular residents.

Standing 305 feet tall from the ground to the top of her torch, built of concrete, steel, and copper, Lady Liberty had maintained her silent vigil from New York Harbor since given to the United States from France in 1886, a gift of friendship in memory of the American Revolution. Even during the many times when work had to be done to patch the wounds caused by the elements, when workers covered her with scaffolding and platforms, she never relaxed her guard, maintaining her dignity and pride as she watched over the city in good times and bad. Even now, when New York lay paralyzed with its citizens trapped in the Shadow Realm, her determined look had not wavered. As Yugi and his friends looked up towards their destination, she seemed to echo the same determination they showed, and gave them hope that this war could be won.

Their opponent had made a mistake. They certainly would not lose a duel with her in the cheering section.

The subway had taken them to the stop where the Staten Island Ferry was docked, and the ferry itself was waiting for them. And yet, Jade kept telling them that something was wrong… something was "not right" about their trip. But there was no turning back.

They slowly stepped on the shores of Liberty Island; there was no dueling station in sight, but a table awaited them, laden with hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, salad, and sodas inside a bowl of ice (as well as condiments). A note was on the table.

Yugi read it.

_Dear Yugi – _

_I'll be there in an hour. In the meantime, help yourself. I always say that condemned men and women should be given a last meal. And while you're at it, you may want to review your strategies – I don't want an easy win._

The note was unsigned.

Mary looked at the food suspiciously. "Think Remi would try to poison us with this stuff? Even maybe to make us too weak to duel well?"

Jade went up to the table and looked at it hard.

"The food isn't poisoned," she said. "I can tell."

She picked up a burger.

"And… it's still hot."

Everyone was excited. It was ages since they had hot food. And if Jade said it wasn't poisoned, that was good enough for them. They tore into the food, barely taking time to chew.

From the top of the Statue, two fiendish eyes were watching.

"Go on, stuff yourself," said their foe. "Not my fault if you get indigestion! As good as you think those burgers are, my much tastier feast will begin soon…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his Castle of Dark Illusions, Remi slowly leafed through the pages of a book. His cell phone rang.

"Talk to me," he said, putting it to his ear.

"The dueling station is complete," said Earl.

"Have you thoroughly tested it?" said Remi.

"Uh, yeah," said Earl. "It's humming like a kitten. I assure you, you'll get your money's worth."

"Excellent," said Remi. He hung up.

"Now to find out where my victims are," he said. "Been a long time since I checked on them…"

He waved his Rod over his viewing screen.

"Hmmm," he said. "They aren't where they were last… Search Manhattan…" he said to the screen."

Pictures flashed on the screen. After a few seconds the words 'not found' appeared.

"Huh?" said Remi. "Search the whole city!"

A longer search enacted, and eventually a picture of the team appeared.

"The Statue of Liberty?!" said Remi. "What the devil are they doing there?! Sightseeing? HOW did they get there? No one uses the transports of this city unless I allow it!"

He concentrated for a moment.

"Wait," he said. "Someone else is there… I smell a rat…"

He turned to the screen again.

"Do a scan of the entire Liberty Island area!"

The screen slowly scrolled, past Yugi and his friends, over the grounds, it rose up and scanned the Statue herself…

When it got to the top, Remi saw the shadowy figure perched on top,

"What the…" he said. "Closer!"

And then, the screen went blank. Remi pounded on it with the Rod, but the screen went dark.

Remi punched some numbers on his phone and yelled into it.

"Void!" he said. "Gather the other members of the Dark Four and get to Liberty Island! Something strange is happening there!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour after they had landed, the food was gone, and Yugi and his friends were now on the lookout for their opponent.

"So," said Mary. "Who do you think it will be this time?"

Suddenly, laughter filled the air.

"Looks like we'll find out in a minute…" said Siegfried.

A form leapt down from the statue, landing in front of them like some great cat. The six of them gasped.

It was Cassie.

Well, it was a twisted caricature of Cassie at least. Her once blue eyes were now blood red, her teeth had sprouted fangs, her skin was dead pale, and her fingernails had lengthened and grown sharp, resembling nothing less than claws. She'd changed her wardrobe too, and now wore a mauve bodysuit, long, black leather gloves (that didn't do much to conceal the claws), and knee length black boots with stiletto heels. She had purple lipstick and eye shadow. The Millennium Ring around her neck shone with unholy light, and evil was emitting from her like a bonfire.

"Hello boys and girls," she said. "Don't bother trying to run… you're on an island after all…"

"We don't intend to run," said Yugi.

"Really," she said. "Then prepare for defeat. You've beaten me twice now, but I've gotten better… and what's the old saying… 'Third time's the charm!'"

"Can we have a moment to ourselves?" said Yugi.

"Of course," she said. "I have nowhere to go…"

"Everybody huddle," he said.

They went into a huddle.

"People," he said. "This has gone beyond terrible. The Evil Spirit has begun to physically corrupt Cassie's body, far more than he ever had with Bakura. It seems that all those decades of dormancy only made him stronger. I fear that soon, Cassie may be lost forever. Not to mention he's grown strong enough to manipulate the City of Souls, enough to usurp Remi's control of the subways and the Ferry. If there is to be any hope of saving Cassie, the Spirit must be banished from her vessel _today_."

"But how?" said Mary.

"I have an idea…" said Yugi. "An idea to play on the Spirit's greed for power… but every one of us will have to make an agreement…"

He sighed. "This won't be an easy decision to make. I'll understand if any of you refuse. But to defeat the Spirit, we must be unanimous…"

He quickly explained his plan. All of them looked at him.

"A desperate plan indeed," said Jade. "But it must be done. I am in."

"So am I," said Mary.

Peter. Clive, and Siegfried looked at each other.

"Seems like we're all in," said Siegfried.

Yugi looked up, and confronted the fiend in front of them.

"Okay, soul-stealer," he said, "you can have your duel, on one condition… if you are defeated, you will relinquish your control of Cassie forever!"

"What a bold request!" said Cassie. "And just what makes you think I will agree to such a term?"

"We will make a wager well worth it," said Yugi. "You gain power from souls? If you win, you can have all _six_ of ours!"

Cassie looked very surprised. She didn't expect that.

The fools, she thought. If I am driven out of this body, I'll merely seize another… Siegfried's looks rather handsome…

"Okay," she said with a smile. "I accept. But I won't lose. And since there is such at stake, I will chose who I will duel… and I chose you, Peter!"

"Huh?" said Peter. He looked down.

"Okay, fine," said Peter. "But I won't be so easily beaten, monster! Just lead me to the dueling station!"

"No dueling station, Pete," said Cassie.

She gestured, and a Dueling Disk appeared on Peter's left arm.

"Hope you know how to use that," she said, as one appeared on her own arm. "And people, I'll let you know that I am not entirely without mercy… when I throw your souls into the Shadow Realm, I'll lock you all in the same cell… you can spend an eternity together playing Duel Monsters with each other!"

"How thoughtful of you," said Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the docks of New York Harbor, the four members of the Dark Four were at an impasse. Void took out his cell phone.

"Uh, boss," he said into it.

"Are you there?" said Remi.

"Um, no," said Void. "Something strange is happening on Liberty Island… just what we can't tell. We can't seem to teleport there, and I can't seem to see anything on it, not physically or mentally. Plus, none of the ferries will start. This is pure conjecture on my part, but it seems someone is has made a tiny 'City of Souls' of their own around the island – with the intent to block _you_ out."

"That's impossible," said Remi. "It would require a Millennium Item and some sort of power source…"

"As impossible as it may be," said Void. "It is happening."

Remi paused.

"Keep your eye on the Island, and keep me informed," he said.

He hung up.

"Could it be that crazy soothsayer?" he said. "This is serious! If he helps them escape, I'll have lost!"

He stared at his still dead screen. "Damn," he said. "Whoever is doing this will suffer a thousand deaths…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

But Remi was quite wrong. While he was indeed in danger of losing his prey, it was from a different threat.

Standing at the base of the mighty statue, Peter and Cassie loaded their decks into the Disks, and made their draws.

"Incidentally," said Cassie. "I've made great improvements to my deck since the first time we all met… expect this duel to be one of epic proportions."

"Are we going to do this, or are we going to talk all day?" said Peter.

"By all means," said Cassie.

The lights blinked on the Dueling Disks. The scores were set to 2,000.

"DUEL!!" they both said.

Peter raised two cards.

"I play one card facedown," he said. "And I summon the Infernalqueen Archfiend in Defense Mode!"

First the facedown card appeared in front of him. Then flames erupted in front of him, and a female demon in purple dress with large wings appeared. Her fiery eyes glared at Cassie. (900/1,500)

"An Archfiend, huh?" said Cassie.

"That's right," said Peter. "One of a team of closely knit Fiends who rule the Underworld. You should feel right at home among them!"

"Funny," said Cassie. "I will summon… Dark Scorpion Gorg the Strong, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and to everyone's surprise, the image of one of Clive's Dark Scorpions, the large, muscular one, rose upon the field! (1,800/1,500)

But he looked different from Clive's. His clothing was tattered, his skin was dark, his eyes bore no pupils, and the mace he carried was covered with spikes.

"That's Clive's card!" said Peter.

"Oh did I mention?" said Cassie. "Ever since the Heir cast his mighty spell, I've been studying all of your duels very carefully, enough to use magic to construct a very special deck. This deck contains the mightiest cards possessed by all five of your friends, Peter… to defeat me, you'll have to defeat their best Monsters! I naturally challenged you because _your_ Monsters are pathetic! That Infernalqueen may look scary, but even you must admit her stats are weak!"

"No fair!" said Mary. "Just because she has a Millennium Item doesn't mean she can pack her deck with any card she wants!"

"Fear not," said Yugi. "She may have duplicates of our cards, but without the Heart that we all possess, she won't be able to use them as well. Peter still has a chance if he plays his cards right."

"You think my cards are weak?" said Peter. "Well then attack me, I dare you! I double-dare you!"

"No, I think I'll end my move there," said Cassie. "I'm not falling for the facedown-card-and-Monster-in-Defense-Mode trick."

"Really," said Peter, "Then why don't I activate the facedown card…"

He flipped the card and it turned around… it was the Traitor in the Ranks card!

"You remember how this works?" said Peter.

A large knife appeared in the air and flew toward Cassie! She tumbled over as it hit her, and her Life Points fell to 1,600.

"It deals you 400 points of Direct Damage for each Monster you have on the field!" said Peter. "Now, My Infernalqueen looks a little lonely, so I'll summon a friend of hers… the Darkbishop Archfiend, in Defense Mode!"

He placed the card down, and a vortex of water rose beside the Infernalqueen. When it subsided, a fiend dressed as a bishop in a black robe with wings and a skull-tipped staff appeared. (300/1,400).

"Huh, he's even more pathetic than your queen…" said Cassie.

"Now, I'll switch my Infernalqueen into Attack Mode…" he said, turning the card.

"Huh?" said Cassie, as the Infernalqueen rose to attack.

"AND," said Peter. "I'll activate her not-so-weak effect, which allows her to raise the Attack power of any Archfiend on the field by 1,000 points every turn. I'll have her use the effect… on herself!"

The Infernalqueen raised her hands, and she was cloaked in flames. Her Attack power rose to 1,900.

"Go my Infernalqueen!" said Peter. "Cross-the-board capture attack!"

The Infernalqueen zoomed forward in a fiery blaze, and plowed into Gorg, incinerating him. Cassie's Life Points fell to 1,500.

Cassie was now steamed.

"Okay," she said. "So your Archfiends have a few special powers. But the rules of the game remain the same… the Monster with the higher Attack Points always wins! Take a look at this, Yugi!"

She put a card down, and a humanoid shape appeared.

It was the Dark Magician Girl… at least in basic outline. But while the real Dark Magician Girl was merely attractive, this one wore a variation of her dress that made her look like a harlot. Her eyes had a sinister glow to them, and her teeth were pointed. (2,000/1,700)

"How dare you…" said Yugi.

"Guess you can call her the _Darker_ Magician Girl!" said Cassie. "Destroy the Infernalqueen! Dark magic attack!"

The evil Dark Magician Girl aimed her baton and blasted the Infernalqueen away. Peter's Life Points fell to 1,900, and the Spellcaster laughed cruelly.

"Your move," said Cassie.

"Oh, you are asking for it," said Peter, making a draw.

He looked at his card. "Here's a little gift for your Spellcaster," he said. "The Equip card Megamorph!"

"What?!" said Cassie.

Peter placed it down, and a magical circle surrounded the Dark Magician Girl. She shrieked.

"Since my score is ahead of yours," said Peter, "this Equip cuts her Attack score in half!"

The Dark Magician Girl's Attack score fell to 1,000.

"And now I'm gonna tear _her_ in half," said Peter. "I summon the Desrook Archfiend, in Attack Mode!"

A beam of light struck the ground in front of him, and a fiendish chess rook with four large tentacles appeared on the grid. (1,100 over 1,800)

"Attack!" said Peter. "King's castling attack!"

The Desrook's front tentacle shot forth, and sliced the Dark Magician Girl in twain! Cassie's Life Points fell to 1,400.

Cassie drew. She looked at the card, and a wicked gleam came to her eyes. She added it to her hand.

"Time for one of Mary's cards," she said, picking another one. "Flame Swordsman in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a flame leapt up, revealing a very fierce looking version of Mary's favorite card. (1,800/1,600)

"But I won't attack just now," said Cassie with an evil smile. "I'll just end my turn there…"

Peter looked at her strangely.

What the heck is she planning? he thought as he drew.

"I'll shift my Desrook into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card. The Desrook drew in his tentacles.

"And I'll lay a card facedown too," he said, placing it. "And that will end my turn."

He put down the card, and it appeared before him.

"Splendid," said Cassie. "And this will end the duel. Time Wizard in Attack Mode!"

She slapped the card down, and Mary's clock-shaped Spellcaster leapt up. Peter and all his friends gasped. (500/400)

"Mary used this little gadget to defeat Bonz," said Cassie. "And now it will be _your_ undoing! Once it reduces your Monsters to dust, a blow from my Flame Swordsman will finish you off!"

Peter just glared at her.

"Speechless, huh?" she said. "Well then, let's take it for a spin! Time Wizard, time roulette now!"

The arrow on his staff began to spin.

"Man, never thought I'd _wish_ for a Time Wizard's spin to miss!" said Mary.

"Even if it doesn't miss," said Yugi, softly, "Peter still has a chance…"

"Huh?" said Clive.

"Never underestimate an Archfiend's power," said Yugi. "Just wait…"

The Time Wizard's arrow slowed…

And then, to the horror of Peter's friends, it landed with a clang on the top crown!

"Yes!" said Cassie. "I am victorious!!"

The Time Wizard thrust his staff forward… the vortex started to open above…

"Now, Darkbishop!" shouted Peter.

The Darkbishop raised his hand, and all of a sudden, the Time Wizard and his time warp froze in place!

"What the…?" said Cassie.

"My Darkbishop is going to make a spin of his own, Cassie," said Peter.

The Darkbishop raised his hand, and a dark clock with the numbers one through six appeared above him. A skeletal hand rested on the one.

"See," said Peter. "All of the major Archfiends have the potential to cancel out Monster effects that are thrown towards them! And few are better at doing so than the Darkbishop!

"If this spin lands on a 2, 4, or 5, your Time Wizard's time magic effect will succeed… but if it lands on a 1, 3, or 6, the effect will be cancelled, and your Wizard will be destroyed! Darkbishop, Bone Roulette now!"

Cassie gasped as the bony spinner started to turn with a cackling noise. Yugi and his allies crossed their fingers.

The spinner slowed, and landed directly on the one! A loud toll rang out.

"Looks like my Darkbishop wins," said Peter. "And your Time Wizard loses!"

The vortex in the sky vanished, and a blue glow enveloped the Darkbishop's staff. He blasted a ray of blue energy, which blew the Time Wizard into a pile of junk! Cassie's Life points slipped further, to 1,275.

"All right!" cheered Mary. "Go Peter!"

"You had better watch out Mary," said Jade, "if you ever duel with him…"

Now Cassie was truly angry. "Flame Swordsman!" she shouted, "destroy the Darkbishop! Flaming sword of battle!"

The Flame Swordsman's sword blazed, and he brought it down on the Darkbishop, vaporizing him.

"Good shot," said Peter. "Too bad he was in Defense Mode. Any other move you'd like to make while it's still your turn?"

Actually, yes," said Cassie. "I play the Gift of the Mystical Elf!"

She put the card down, and her Life Points went up to 2,275.

"Well," said Peter. "You think my Archfiend's are easy targets… but are you ready to meet their king?"

He picked a card from his hand.

"So long as I have one Archfiend on my side, like the Desrook, I can summon this powerful member of the group… I summon the Terrorking Archfiend, in Attack Mode!"

A blast of dark energy exploded in front of Peter, and a hulking shape emerged. He looked similar to the Summoned Skull, but wore royal raiment, a red cape, and a golden crown with a blood-red ruby. (2,000/1,500)

The Terrorking and the Desrook faced each other. The Terrorking turned to Cassie and roared. Cassie sneered.

"Come now you demon," said Peter to Cassie. "Have you no respect for someone who rules over your own kind? Bow to your king!"

He laughed.

"Never…" said Cassie.

"Suit yourself," said Peter. "Terrorking, attack the Flame Swordsman with charging checkmate attack!"

The Terrorking raised his fist, and charged, blowing the Flame Swordsman into nothingness! Cassie's Life Points fell to 2,075.

"You think your Terrorking scares me?" said Cassie, making a draw. "Well, he doesn't! I still have plenty of cards stronger than him!"

She placed one down. "Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!"

Flames erupted in front of her, and a Dark Magician appeared; but this one was dressed in blood red rather than lavender, and his eyes were also red.

"No!" said Yugi.

"That's right, Yugi," said Cassie. "My own version of your favorite card! But this one obeys only me!"

She shouted her command. "Attack the Terrorking! Dark magic attack!"

The evil Magician fired a blast from his scepter, and the Terrorking burst. Peter's Life Points went down to 1,400.

"What are you gonna do now?" said Cassie. "I just blew your Terrorking to kingdom come!"

Peter chuckled.

"Sorry Cassie," he said, "but I was kind of hoping you'd send a Dark Magician out. And you really should have aimed for my Desrook instead…"

"That's your opinion…" said Cassie.

"No, it's a fact," said Peter. "Because now I can activate the Desrook's special power…"

The Desrook began to vanish.

"I have to sacrifice the Desrook to do it, but now I can bring someone back from the Graveyard…"

The dark explosion burst again, and the Terrorking reappeared!

"And now," said Peter. "I'll finally activate my facedown card, an Archfiend's favorite Equip card, the Axe of Despair!"

The card in front of him turned around, and the axe on it lifted itself off the card and flew into the Terrorking's hand. His Attack score went up to 3,000!

"Attack that sorry excuse for a Dark Magician!" said Peter. "Charging checkmate attack!"

The Terrorking charged forward, and sliced the Dark Magician in two! Cassie's Life Points fell to 1,575.

"Well, I never liked him anyway," said Cassie. She drew.

"First, I'm playing Dian Keto the Cure Master!" she said.

She put the card down, and Dian appeared. Her Life Points rose to 2,575.

"And now, since I'm getting sick of your friends' Monsters, I think I'll use one of my own… perhaps you remember my Man-Eater Bug?"

She held the card out in front of her.

"Aw, nuts," said Siegfried.

"I'll just place it facedown in Defense Mode," said Cassie, "and see what you can try to come up with!"

She put the card down, and the facedown card appeared on the ground in front of her.

"What I can come up with?" said Peter. "My Terrorking isn't afraid of your Bug! Terrorking, attack the facedown card!"

The Terrorking charged.

"What?!" said Mary.

"What?!" said Cassie.

The Man-Eater Bug appeared, and the Terrorking sliced it in half down the middle! As the remains vanished, the Terrorking raised his axe and roared.

"What... but…" said Cassie. "It should have destroyed your Terrorking!"

"Don't you know by now that my Archfiends have special powers?" said Peter. "When the Terrorking attacks a Monster, any special Effects that come with it being attacked are automatically nullified, including Flip-Effects. Your Bug's deadly power was worthless. And it's your move."

"I'm beginning to get annoyed!" said Cassie. She drew.

And then she laughed.

"Here's one of Mary's Spell Cards," she said. "Copycat! Think I'll use it to copy your Megamorph!"

She put the card down, and the familiar circle of light circled the Terrorking! He howled, and his Attack score fell to 1,500!

"Back at you!" said Cassie. "Now I'll just summon Sashia the Samurai Squire in Attack Mode!"

"What?" said Jade, as she put the card down. A twisted version of Sashia appeared; like Cassie's Dark Magician Girl, her outfit had changed so as to make her resemble a harlot, and she had the demonic look of her previous cards. (1,700/1,500)

"What do you think, Jade?" said Cassie.

Jade did not answer, but clearly, hate was welling up inside her.

"Sashia, katana slash attack!" said Cassie. The evil Sashia drew her sword and stabbed it into the Terrorking; he moaned, and collapsed. Peter's Life Points were now at 1,200.

"No..." said Clive. "Peter doesn't have much better than that!"

Peter drew.

A Spell Card, he thought. A powerful one.

"Okay, pal," he said. "I'm going to play this Spell Card… Stumbling!"

"Stumbling?" said Cassie. "What does that do?"

"For as long as this Continuous Spell Card remains in play," said Peter, "any Monster you summon or flip-summon will instantly shift into Defense Mode!

"Now, I just need to get rid of your Attack Mode Monster, so… Archfiend Soldier, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a purple Fiend with large horns dressed in a gray cloak appeared. (1,900/1,500).

"Attack Sashia!" said Peter. "Dark sword of Perdition attack!"

The Archfiend drew his large sword, and charged forward… he lopped of the evil Sashia's head and it fell at his feet! The Soldier nudged it with his foot before the body of his foe vanished. Cassie's Life Points stood at 2,375.

"Why is Peter forcing her to play Monsters in Defense?" said Mary. "He won't get at her Life Points like that…"

"I think Peter might have a plan," said Yugi. "Thing is, I don't know what that plan may be…"

"So what do you think that Spirit will pull out of that deck next?" said Siegfried. "Red Eyes Black Dragon? Crescent Moon Queen? Robo Ronin?"

Cassie made a draw. And she smiled. She started to back up away from Peter.

[B]"Blue-Eyes White Dragon!!"[/B] she shouted.

In a flash of light, the huge, silver-blue dragon appeared and let out an earth-shaking roar! (3,000/2,500)

"NO!" said Siegfried. "You were even able to copy my prize card?!"

"Sure looks that way, doesn't it?" said Cassie.

Siegfried was beyond anger. He snarled and prepared to lunge at Cassie… but then Clive and Jade held him back.

"Siegfried you fool, don't!" said Jade. "If you disrupt the duel, Peter will have to forfeit!"

Siegfried calmed down.

"I may have to play this beast in Defense Mode," said Cassie. "But when I find a way to destroy your Stumbling card, it's all over."

Peter thought for a moment.

The reason I played that card was to buy time, he thought. Time to draw and use my secret weapon… I can only pray I draw it before she finds a way to attack…

He drew.

But this isn't it!

"I'll first switch my Soldier to Defense Mode," he said.

He turned the card, and the Archfiend Soldier knelt in Defense position.

"And then I'll summon my Vilepawn Archfiend, also in Defense Mode."

A rumbling was heard, and bony, skull-faced Fiend with a sword and a large left claw crawled out of the ground. He knelt beside the Soldier. (1,200/200).

Cassie drew.

"I still can't get rid of your Spell Card," she said. "But when I do, it will be epic. Yamoto the Noble Samurai, in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and a sinister version of Yamoto appeared. His armor was blackened, and same evil gleam was in his eye. (2,200/2,000)

Come on, said Peter, making a draw.

He drew.

The Shadowknight, he thought. He's as strong as the Terrorking, but he still can't bust through the Defense of her two Monsters. But I might as well…

"Shadowknight Archfiend, in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and another Archfiend appeared in a whirlwind of air. He resembled the Vilepawn, but larger, and with shining armor. He knelt down and folded his wings. (2,000/1,600)

Cassie drew…

She laughed out loud!

She slapped a card down. "Harpie's Feather Duster!" she said. "Dust off his Stumbling card!"

The huge feather appeared in the air, and both of her Monsters leapt into Attack Mode!

"Now," said Cassie, "I'll bring forth the Summoned Skull in Attack Mode, and decimate your defensive line!"

She put another card down, and the fierce Summoned Skull appeared in a burst of lightning! (2,500/1,200)

"Summoned Skull," shouted Cassie. "Hit the Vilepawn with lightning strike attack!"

The Skull roared, and shot forth his lightning bolts, blasting the Vilepawn to ashes!"

"Yamoto," said Cassie. "Attack the Shadowknight with katana blade slash!"

The evil Yamoto leapt up, and cut the Shadowknight down.

"Blue-Eyes, finish the last one off with white lighting!!"

The Blue-Eyes blasted its breath-weapon, obliterating the Archfiend Soldier.

Cassie cackled. "I'll end my turn there, Peter," she said. "But what will you do now? No matter what you summon, my Blue-Eyes will blast it to smithereens, and then an assault from either of my other Monsters will finish you – and your friends – forever!"

Peter looked at the three monstrous beasts. He bowed his head.

She's right, he thought. Even if I draw my secret weapon now, I'd never get a chance to use it. I've failed… both myself and all of them…

He looked at his five friends.

"Don't give up, Peter!" shouted Mary.

"We're right behind you, buddy!" said Clive.

"Focus," said Jade. "Concentrate. You can still defeat this demon!"

Peter paused.

They're right, he thought. So long as I still have at least one Life Point left, there's still hope!

He drew. He looked at the card.

"Graceful Charity!" he said, slapping the card down. The slender fairy appeared, and vanished into mist.

Peter made three draws. He looked at the cards he drew in amazement.

These just might do the trick! he thought.

He discarded the two remaining cards in his existing hand.

"Okay Spirit, or whatever you are," he said to his opponent, "prepare to meet the most beautiful, most seductive, most gorgeous Archfiend of them all, the Shadow Tamer, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a beautiful woman appeared in front of him. She was dressed in a white outfit with gold trimmings, had floor-length blue hair, strange make-up, and carried a slender whip. (800/700)

"_She's_ an Archfiend?" said Mary.

"Technically," said Yugi.

"What are you going to do with _her_?" mocked Cassie. "She couldn't even scratch my Monsters!"

"I'm not going to have her fight your Monsters," said Peter. "Haven't you learned by now about the secret powers of Archfiends? The Shadow Tamer possess a beauty that creatures of the Underworld find irresistible… so irresistible, that even the mightiest of Fiends are like putty in her hands! In other words, she has the ability to control them, just like a Change of Heart card could!

"Thus, I'm having her seize control of your Summoned Skull!"

The Shadow Tamer lashed her whip at the Skull, and his eyes glazed over. He flew over to Peter's side and stood beside the Tamer.

Cassie laughed again.

"So take the Skull, you fool!" she said. "He can't defeat either of my remaining Monsters! Yamoto gains a 500 point bonus to his Attack score in battles against Fiends, and the Blue-Eyes is just too powerful, period!"

"Oh, I'm not going to attack with the Skull," said Peter. "I'm now going to use my secret weapon… behold!"

He brandished a Spell Card showing a dark twisted shape.

"What the blazes is that?" said Cassie.

"A Ritual Card," said Peter. "One known as Contract With The Dark Master!"

He put it down.

"And to activate its powerful magic, I offer as sacrifice my Shadow Tamer and your Summoned Skull!"

The Shadow Tamer and Summoned Skull stood back-to-back with each other. Suddenly, a mass of wiry, dark ribbons sprang out of the earth, and started to wrap around the two of them.

"Uh, this is really creepy," said Mary. "Yugi, what exactly does that card summon?"

"You'll see in a minute," said Yugi.

The dark wires had wrapped the Skull and the Tamer in a tight cocoon. Suddenly, it started to shake, and it burst, revealing an enormous figure! He looked like a cross between a Fiend and a Zombie, with tangled hair, bulging muscles, and huge wings!

"Meet the greatest Archfiend of them all," said Peter, "_**Dark Master Zorc!!**_"

(2,700/1,500)

"Why didn't Peter tell us he could bring that kick-butt Monster out of his deck??" said Clive.

"Likely the same reason _you_ didn't tell us you had the Crescent Moon Queen," said Mary.

"Oh, right," said Clive.

Clive reached for his last card.

"I'm putting Zorc in Attack Mode," said Peter, and placing one card facedown to end my turn.

The facedown card appeared behind the Dark Master.

Cassie was a little taken aback, but her smile soon returned.

"Ah, Zorc, shmork," she said. "He's still no match for this kind of firepower! Blue-Eyes, white lightning!"

The Blue-Eyes blasted his lightning bolt at Zorc, but then the facedown card flipped around, revealing the Negate Attack Trap. The blast was halted by a dome of force.

Peter grinned.

"Smile while you can!" said Cassie. "I'll switch Yamoto to Defense Mode, but I doubt you have another Negate Attack ready. And next round, your Dark Master becomes dark matter!"

"That depends entirely on how lucky you are," said Peter. "I'm activating his Effect now!"

From out of the ground behind the Dark Master, a thing resembling a hellish grandfather clock erupted. It was decorated by ghastly gargoyles, and the black face had silver numbers, one through six, and a single silver hand, shaped like an infernal sword.

"Now," said Peter, "demon roulette, go!"

The spinner started to spin…

"Okay…" said Mary. "I'll bite. What does this 'demon roulette' thing do?"

"If the pointer lands on the 3, 4, or 5," said Yugi, "Peter can automatically destroy one of Cassie's Monsters. If it lands on the 1 or the 2, both of her Monsters will be destroyed, and Peter will finish her off…"

"And if it lands on the 6?!" said Mary.

"Then Dark Master Zorc will be destroyed," said Yugi, "and we're all doomed."

They watched the spinner as it slowed…

It edged onto the six…

_Past_ the six… past the one…

And came to a rest on the two!

Yugi's friends cheered. The gargoyles on the clock breathed flame from their mouths, shooting towards Cassie's side and burning the Blue-Eyes and Yamoto to ashes! Cassie's Life Points fell to 1,150!

"NOOO!!" she shouted.

"I'm not done yet!" said Peter. "Dark Master Zorc, attack with a Direct Attack. "Furnaces of Purgatory attack!"

Dark Master Zorc let out a fiendish roar, and blasted flames from his fingertips. They struck Cassie, and she was sent hurtling backwards! Her Life Points fell to zero!

Peter had won!

"No…" said Cassie. "No… it can't be…"

"It is," said Yugi, walking up to her.

His Millennium Puzzle glowed brightly, and the glowing eye appeared on his forehead.

"Now you will either keep you promise, Evil Spirit, or I will cast your thieving soul into the void of the Shadow Realm forever!

Cassie looked up in horror. The Millennium Ring glowed, and Cassie's body went rigid.

"He's retreated into the Ring!" said Yugi. "We have to work quickly!"

Peter bent over her.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!!" said Yugi. "He'll just enslave your body if any one of you touches it unprotected!!"

"Then how do we…" said Peter.

Yugi seized the Ring.

"My own Millennium Item can protect me for at least a few minutes," he said. "Everyone stay back!"

"So what will you do with it?!" said Siegfried.

"I think we all know the answer to that," said Yugi.

He ran to the edge of the dock where the ferry was moored.

"You've caused a lot of trouble, Evil Spirit," he said. "For Bakura, for Cassie, and for countless others…"

He stretched his arm backwards, and hurled the Ring far into the water!

"It will be a long time before you harm anyone again!"

It landed with a splash and sunk like a stone.

He went back to Cassie's prone form and his Millennium Puzzle shone over her.

The changes the Spirit had made to her body slowly melted away. Her claws and fangs vanished, and her skin returned to its rosy hue. The deck on the ground full of evil versions of their cards crumbled to dust, leaving only a few of Cassie's original cards.

"Is she going to be all right?" said Mary.

Yugi concentrated.

"Yes," he said. "The Evil Spirit is truly gone. She's in a deep sleep of forgetfulness. She might not wake up for a few days, but she'll be fine when she does.

"We should search the Statue for anything she brought, and then get her back to the hotel…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Void punched in a number on his cell phone.

"Boss?" he said. "The force surrounding Liberty Island has vanished; I can see them now. Seems Yugi and his friends were on a sort of rescue mission… but whomever they rescued the victim from, he's gone now. No trace of your usurper remains."

"Quite odd," said Remi.

"Seems you might have some competition," said Void. "Anyway, there's a ferry on the island, but I don't see how they intend to pilot it…"

"Leave that to me," said Remi. "Do you know what they intend to do with the rescued victim?"

"Seems they want to take her back to their hotel," said Void. "You want us to go and get her for you?"

"No need for that," said Remi, who was now watching his screen. "I doubt she has any value to me. Just let them do their charity work, and the plan will continue tomorrow…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the crown of the Statue, they found a knapsack containing food and Cassie's other cards. With Jade carrying Cassie, they soon boarded the Ferry, at first with the intent to hotwire it, but soon found that it eagerly took them to Manhattan. The had no doubt that Remi was guiding it, obviously so they could be led into another of his traps.

They decided to try the subway, and to their surprise, Remi provided that too. It took them only two hours to get to the hotel where their journey had begun.

They had no idea what room was hers, but soon found an unused one. They placed Cassie in the bed, and she continued to sleep. Yugi took her deck, and placed it on the bedside table.

"Um, Mary," said Yugi.

"Yes?" she said.

"The Millennium Shield…"

Mary sighed.

"Come now, Mary," said Yugi, "we already went through this. Taking it from the Spirit was one thing, but you can't steal from Cassie's deck… you agreed to return it when she was restored, and hopefully, once her deck is complete, she'll recover easier."

Mary couldn't deny that. She went through her deck and took out the Millennium Shield card, and she placed it on the top of Cassie's deck.

"You know," said Jade, "if Remi was watching, he might send somebody to get Cassie."

"I know," said Yugi. "We should at least guard her until we have to go somewhere else."

It was now night. They stood guard in shifts, and hour at a time, while the others slept.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In New York Harbor, the Millennium Ring rested at the slime-and-garbage-covered bottom; inside a restless Spirit brooded in anger.

Suddenly, the Ring was lifted to the surface. It floated to the edge of the Manhattan docks, where a robed man seized it.

"Yugi was right, soul-stealer," said Shadi. "You have caused far too much trouble, too much to be left where some salvager or other poor soul could come across you…"

He placed the Ring in a small sack.

"Thus, it is my duty as Guardian of the Millennium Items to make certain that your evil ways do not continue… If you remain a prisoner of that Ring for eternity, it is a better fate than you deserve."

He walked away, and vanished into the night.


	20. Duel at 1,450 Feet

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Duel at 1,450 Feet**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was morning, and the team was in the process of eating the last of the supplies from the hospital. At least with the mini-bar refrigerators in the hotel rooms, they had a whole night to cool the soda.

They didn't want to leave the still-sleeping Cassie alone; she'd be easy prey for an attack by a Rare Hunter. But they knew they might have no choice soon, and carrying her with them was out of the question. They even considered for a while leaving one of their number behind the next time they had to leave… but if the Dark Four could defeat Jade, it would have made little difference.

While they were pondering it, the television in front of them came on, and static started to show.

"Huh?" said Yugi.

Everyone looked at it.

"Somebody hit the remote?" said Mary.

Suddenly, the static, cleared, and a familiar face came on the screen.

"REMI!!" said Yugi.

"Good morning everyone," he said. "Welcome to the ToDie Show! I'm Remi Farikoh, proof positive that you don't have to be crazy to host a morning talk show, but it helps!"

"Yugi," said Mary, "he's nuts!"

"We've had enough of this, Remi!" said Yugi. "Why don't you come down here and face us like a civilized man?"

"Yugi, Yugi," said Remi. "Haven't you learned by now that I'm _not_ a civilized man? Anyway, before we get to today's business, I want to inform you… I _know_ of the steps you are taking to try to protect Terone, Amber, and whoever that girl is on the bed there, and let me tell you, your concern is unnecessary. I have absolutely no use for them. If I wanted to kill them, my Castle could destroy the buildings they are in right now if I simply will it to."

Yugi's eyes narrowed.

"Want proof?" said Remi. "See that large clock on the building out your window?" The one with my Castle just behind it?"

Yugi looked out the window. "Yeah," he said.

"Well I'm going to vaporize it," said Remi, "just as soon as one of the six of you says this word…"

A word flashed on the screen:

"**NO"**

"Sorry Remi," said Jade. "But you will not trick us into saying that word."

"I beg to differ," said Remi. "Oh Siegfried? I'll bet I can make _you_ say this word!"

"Oh no you can't…" said Siegfried.

He clasped his hand over his mouth.

"Gotcha!" said Remi.

A beam of red light flashed from the Castle, and the large clock exploded! The window of the room they were in shattered!

"Nice going, Einstein," said Mary.

"No fair, Remi!" said Siegfried.

"HA!" said Remi. "Made you say it again!" He laughed so hard he fell over.

"Shut up, Sieg!" said Yugi.

Remi regained himself. "Well, I think I've proved my point," he said. "Look to the fax machine in the corner. I'll be sending you something momentarily…"

The TV turned off.

"Jade, we'd best move Cassie to the room across the hall," said Yugi. "There's too much broken glass here…"

As they carried her out of the room, Siegfried sat down on the other bed. "Oldest schoolyard prank in existence and I fall for it," he mumbled.

"Don't feel so bad," said Clive, sitting next to him. "I knew this real creep in elementary school… he used to play the same dumb prank on me over and over again just to prove I'd fall for it every time."

"What?" said Siegfried.

Clive paused.

"Hey Siegfried, what's this?" he said, pointing to Siegfried's collar.

"Huh?" said Siegfried, looking down.

"Yoink!" said Clive, shooting his finger up and hitting Siegfried's nose.

"Oh," said Siegfried. "Kids can be so cruel…"

Five minutes later, Yugi and Jade walked back in; almost on cue, the fax machine whirred to life, and slowly a printout was fed out.

Yugi took it.

"It's our next clue," he said.

He read:

_Where once a primate full of ire_

_Scaled the nation's greatest spire,_

_Climb to where you'll climb no higher._

"Primate?" said Peter.

"Monkeys," said Yugi. "Well, the phylum that they and humans belong to…"

"So do we have to go back to the zoo?" said Clive.

"No…" said Yugi, thinking. "What monkey is most associated with this city?"

They all thought.

"King Kong," said Mary.

"Exactly," said Yugi. "One who was truly 'full of ire.' And in the original movie, he climbed the Empire State Building, which at the year the film was made, was the tallest building in the world, and it's also a 'spire' due to its mast…

"We have to go there, and I even think I know precisely were… the observation deck. That is were you can 'climb no higher'."

"One thing is for sure," said Mary. "We're seeing an awful lot of the city on this trip…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The subway soon took them to one of the most famous buildings of all of the city. New York State had gotten its nickname from this enormous tower, which once held the distinction of being New York's tallest. It lost that title when the World Trade Center towers were constructed, and gained it again after a cowardly attack by terrorists demolished the Twin Towers in an attempt to bring the United States to its knees. But they failed in that regard… their organization was extinct today, and where the World Trade Center once stood was now the even grander Freedom Towers, a monument that stood to triumph over adversity. Still, throughout it all, the original emperor of New York was more than willing to share the limelight, and as the dark wall imprisoned its city was in place, the monolith known as the Empire State Building stood firm, immobile, unyielding, unwilling to crumble under the dark curtain.

Yugi and his friends entered the revolving doors leading to the visitors' elevators, and they opened with a chime to let them in. He pushed the button marked "Observation Deck," and the elevator began its long ascent. Up, up, and up.

They arrived on the deck after a three-minute trip. The inside deck was encased in glass, giving a breathtaking view of the whole city. Telescopes activated when you inserted quarters stood around the perimeter. But there was no dueling station.

"Think we read the clue wrong?" said Mary.

"Not at all!" said a female voice.

"You read it quite correctly!" said a male one.

The ceiling opened up, and two figures wearing the robes of Rare Hunters lowered themselves on ropes. They leapt the final ten feet to the floor.

They cast their robes aside, and revealed acrobatic spandex underneath, as well as odd-looking knapsacks on their backs. The female (who had long red hair and wore blue) did a back flip, and landed on her feet on the male's shoulders (he had died blue hair and wore red).

"I'm Jess!" said the woman.

"And I'm Stalt!" said the man.

"Among the Rare Hunters, we rank among the rarest!" said Jess.

"So prepare for a battle like none other!" said Stalt. "A duel at 1,450 feet!"

"Very pretty," said Yugi. "But none of us can duel two opponents…"

"That's right," said Jess, "Against one of you, we'd have an unfair advantage…"

"Thus, Yugi," said Stalt, "select one of your friends for a two-on-two! Make sure it's someone you'd prefer to spend the last moments of your life with!"

The Puzzle activated.

"Fine," he said. "Two-on-two it will be. And I'd be honored if Mary would be my partner…

"If that's okay with her…"

"You bet Yugi!" she said. "I'm not afraid of these circus freaks!"

Jess picked up a remote, and the floor opened. A huge dueling station emerged from underneath, one with four chairs, two on each side.

"Take your seats," said Stalt.

Mary and Yugi sat down.

"Oh," said Jess. "Those seats have safety belts on them… I suggest you fasten them…"

"Safety belts?" said Mary. "What the heck for?"

"So you don't get blown away!" said Jess, as she and Stalt fastened theirs.

She hit another button on the remote, and suddenly one of the windows of the observation deck opened! Wind started to gust in. Mary and Yugi quickly reached for the belts.

But it didn't stop there. The station quickly started to move, moving out the window, until support beams were holding it over the side of the building. Clive, Pete, Jade, and Siegfried ran to the window.

"Don't… look… down…" said Yugi to Mary.

"Good advice," said Stalt. "You can probably guess the rules of this duel… when a winning side is declared, the seats of the losers will fall apart, sending the losers plummeting 1,450 feet, to their deaths on the street below!"

"Just remember," said Jess. "It isn't the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end! Oh and don't worry about your cards blowing away. The consoles will keep them there with magnets that attract the special 'bar code' system. And as for you deck and Graveyard zones, just use the special holders."

"How thoughtful," said Yugi, loading his deck into the holder. It was a simple transparent box with a feeding system for easy access.

_Rules of the Two-on-Two Duel:_

_Players alternate turns: In this case, first Jess, then Yugi, then Stalt, then Mary, then back to Jess. All four players start with 2,000 Life Points, as in a standard duel. If your points fall to zero, both you AND your partner lose._

_On your turn, you have all the options as you would in a standard duel. When you play a Monster, only you have control over it. You and your partner can make a fusion with each other's Monsters, but then it counts as belonging to both of you (and you both can command its actions). When Life Points are lost due to a Monster's destruction or failed attack, only its owner loses the Life Points. However, Direct Damage affects both partners unless you sacrifice it yourself. When you play a Equip, you can choose to use it on either your own or your partner's Monster. A Spell Card benefits all Monsters as if a set of partners was one duelist, and a Trap Card protects both partners' Monsters. You can also aid your partner with a healing card or similar Spell Card._

"So," said Stalt. "Ready to become street pizza?"

"Enough with the jokes!" said Mary. "Let's just do this!"

"Fine," said Jess.

"DUEL!!" they all said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his Castle, Remi was looking down with great interest.

Yugi and Mary, hanging on for dear life, he thought. Maybe I should be videotaping this.

Be careful young ones, for your opponents are more formidable than you think. No matter how close the two of you are, few of my henchmen are closer than the siblings who call themselves Jess and Stalt. Their teamwork is so precise and so smooth, that some believe that they can communicate telepathically.

And if they take out both Yugi and Mary, my work here is as good as done…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I'll go first," said Jess. "And I summon the Frontier Wiseman in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and a Warrior in royal garment carrying a book appeared on her side of the field. (1,600/800)

"Interesting…" said Jade.

Hmm, said Yugi, looking at his cards. I don't have anything that can defeat that Wiseman… but I have someone who can stand up to him…

"Mystical Elf, in Defense Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the Mystical Elf, appeared, singing her chant. (800/2,000)

"You're move," said Yugi to Stalt.

"Now we get serious," said Stalt. "I first play a Field Spell Card… the Fusion Gate!"

He put a card down, and a portal containing a gray swirl of energy appeared in the middle of the grid.

"Fusion Gate?" said Clive. "What is that?"

"It's a Field Spell Card that can be used in place of Polymerization," said Siegfried, "but it can be used over and over again, so long as it remains on the field… question is, why are they using it?"

"And now," said Stalt, "the Possessed Dark Soul, in Attack Mode!"

A fiery looking winged fiend appeared before him. (1,200/800).

"Now go, both of you!" said Stalt.

The Frontier Wiseman and the Possessed Dark Soul leapt into the Fusion Gate, and it crackled with energy.

"Presenting," said Jess, "Dark Balter the Terrible!"

A Fiend with a mass of long hair, a bestial face, and a breastplate with the face of a lion leapt out of the gate! (2,000/1,200).

"Finally," said Stalt, "I'm equipping Dark Balter with the Sword of Dark Destruction!"

He put the Equip card down, and Dark Balter brandished a dark sword. His stats went to 2,400 over 1,000.

"Now, destroy the Mystical Elf!" he said. "Terrible blade attack!"

Dark Balter charged forward, and chopped off the Mystical Elf's head! Her remains fell, and vanished.

Mary drew. Okay, she thought. This is going to be tough...

"I'm laying two cards facedown," she said. "And now I'm summoning the Swamp Battleguard in Attack Mode."

She put the cards down, and the green, horned Warrior appeared.

Jess looked carefully at the two facedown cards.

"I will merely lay one card of my own facedown," she said, "and that will end my turn."

She put the card down.

"Okay," said Yugi, as he drew. "I'll use this equip to aid the Swamp Battleguard – the Sword of Deep-Seated!"

He put the card down, and the shining sword appeared above the Battleguard. His club vanished, and he grabbed it. His stats went up to 2,300 over 2,000.

"Stalt, get rid of that freak before she strengthens it again!" said Jess.

"Right," said Stalt. "Dark Balter, attack!"

Dark Balter charged, but stopped dead his tracks. The three Waboku priests sprang up in his path.

"Forgot about my facedown cards, huh?" said Mary. "That was _one_ of them."

"Then it's your move," growled Stalt.

"Fine," said Mary. "I summon the Lava Battleguard, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the Swamp Battleguard's red-skinned twin appeared beside him. (1,550/1,800)

"Get a look at these two," said Mary. "These two Warriors are the best of friends, just like Yugi and me. So much in fact, that when they're on the field together, they give each other a major boost!"

The Swamp Battleguard's Attack went up to 2,800, and the Lava Battleguard's went up to 2,050.

"Now, Swamp Battleguard," said Mary, "Attack Dark Balter! Battle blade attack!"

The Battleguard charged, and destroyed Dark Balter. Jess and Stalt's Life Points went down to 1,600 apiece.

"That was for Yugi's Elf," said Mary. "Now for you…"

"Not so fast!" said Jess. "I'll just activate my Trap Card…"

She lifted it up.

"It's called Sweet Revenge!"

"What?!" said Mary.

"Sweet Revenge is a card I can activate whenever a Monster on my side is destroyed!" she said. "And it destroys every Monster on _your_ side!"

She slapped it down, and a lightning bolt struck the field, vaporizing the two Battleguards! Mary's Life points fell to 933.

"Oh, crud," said Clive. "Mary and Yugi are defenseless!"

"Except," said Jade, softly. "Except for Mary's facedown card…"

"Great work, sister!" said Stalt.

"Thank you brother!" she said. "And now I'll finish them once and for all! You two are both gonna take a dive… literally!"

She drew.

"Thunder Dragon, in Attack mode!" she said. She put down the card, and a huge, green dragon appeared on the grid, shrouded in lightning. (1,600/1,500)

"Thunder Dragon," she ordered. "Attack them directly! Thunder blast attack!"

"Not so fast!" said Mary. "I activate my own Trap, A Hero Emerges!"

She flipped the card, the Thunder Dragon froze, and a shimmering portal appeared in front of Mary.

"Now," said Mary. "One of you pick a card from my hand!"

"Uh…" said Jess. "Last card on the right?"

"Perfect!" said Mary. "Since you just chose a Monster card, I get to special summon him, which I will now in Defense Mode. Emerge!"

Suddenly, Masaki the Legendary Swordsman leapt out of the portal (1,100/1,100).

"And since it is too late for you to call off that attack," said Mary, "your Dragon will just have to attack Masaki instead of us!"

The Dragon blasted a volley of lightning bolts at Masaki, blowing him away.

Jade sighed. "Masaki gave his life to save them," she said. "He truly was a hero…"

"My turn," said Yugi, drawing.

Man, I am having the worst luck here, he thought.

"I'm going to aid Mary by using Gift of the Mystical Elf to increase her Life Points!" he said.

He put the card down, and the Mystical Elf appeared behind Mary. Her Life Points went up to 1,933.

"Now, Celtic Guardian, in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

The Guardian appeared, and sheathed his sword (1,400/1,200).

"My turn," said Stalt. "And I'll summon my own Thunder Dragon!"

He put a card down, and a twin of his sister's Dragon appeared next to hers. (1,600/1,500)

"Fusion Gate, do your stuff!" said Stalt. "Create the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon!"

The two Thunder Dragons flew into the gate, and the gate glowed again. Out of the gate a new Dragon appeared, this one orange with a ferocious second mouth! (2,800/2,100)

"Now, I get it," said Jade. "Jess and Stalt, and in 'gestalt,' a combination or an amalgamation."

"Their decks are probably designed to make some of the best fusions in the dueling word!" said Siegfried.

Siegfried's got a point, thought Yugi. But now that we know what we're up against, maybe we have a bit of an advantage…

"Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon," said Stalt. "Attack! Double thunder blast attack!"

The dragon shot forth two blasts of lightning, incinerating the Celtic Guardian.

Mary drew and looked at her cards. I've really got to work on this deck more… she thought, if I live though this.

"Zanki in Defense Mode," she said. She put the card down, and the red-armored samurai appeared (1,500/1,700).

Jess drew.

Well, this will help set up another good fusion, she thought.

"I'm putting a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," she said. "Now destroy Zanki, Thunder Dragon!"

The Thunder Dragon attacked destroying Zanki.

"Come now Yugi," said Jess, "Give us something good to destroy!"

Yugi drew.

Finally, he thought.

"Here comes the Dark Magician, in Attack mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and his favorite Spellcaster appeared. (2,500/2,000)

"And now," said Yugi. "His favorite Equip card, Magic Formula!"

A large book appeared in front of the Dark Magician, and he looked through it. He shut it, and tucked it under his shoulder. His Attack score went up to 3,000.

"Now, attack that Dragon!" said Yugi. "Dark magic attack!"

"The Dark Magician aimed his scepter, and blasted the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon out of existence. Jess and Stalt's Life Points both went down to 1,400.

"Yes!" said Peter. "Mary and Yugi are in the lead!"

Stalt drew.

"Two cards facedown," he said. "And now, Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!"

He put the cards down, and the black-clad swordsman appeared.

"That's one of Yugi's cards!" said Mary.

"I have every right to use whatever card I want!" said Stalt. "And it's your move."

Mary growled.

"He's right Mary," said Yugi. "We can't tell him what he can or can't put in his deck. I have no doubt that some of those cards are stolen property, but…"

"Yeah? Prove it!" said Jess.

Mary laid a card down. "I summon Garoozis in Attack mode!" she said.

The lizard-like Beast-Warrior appeared, brandishing his axe. (1,800/1,500)

"Now…" said Mary.

She gave a long look at the facedown cards.

Don't want to risk Garoozis over a measly 100 point advantage… she thought. Better wait.

"No attack this round," she said. "I'll end my turn there."

"Could it be?" said Jess. "My turn? I'll first play De-Spell, centering it on your Dark Magician, Yugi!"

She put the card down, and the Magician's Magic Formula melted. His Attack went back down to 2,500.

"Now, I'll command my facedown Monster to show himself! Appear, Spirit Ryu!"

A Dragon appeared from the facedown silhouette; it was purple, winged, and transparent. (1,000/1,000)

"Now, go Fusion Gate! Form the powerful Ryu Senshi!"

Warrior Dai Grepher and Spirit Ryu leapt into the Gate; they merged, and a new Warrior leapt out, dressed in purple, dragon-like armor and a helmet, carrying a huge sword. (2,000/1,200).

"Now, destroy Garoozis!" ordered Jess. "Sword of dragon rage attack!"

Ryu Senshi charged, and cut down Garoozis. Mary's Life points fell to 1,733.

"And finally," said Jess, "I'll play one card facedown."

Yugi drew.

I've got to go on the offensive, he thought. Can't be afraid of them…

"Dark Magician," he said. "Dark magic attack!"

The Dark Magician aimed.

"You made a grievous error, Yugi!" said Stalt. "Ryu Senshi go!"

The Kunai With Chain appeared in Ryu Senshi's hand, and snared the Dark Magician!

"No!" said Yugi, as his Magician struggled.

"Our Warrior has captured your Spellcaster," said Stalt, "and now Ryu Senshi's Attack is 2,400!"

"You still can't defeat my Magician," sneered Yugi.

"I can, now that it's my turn," said Stalt. "I'm using my other facedown card, the Graverobber, to steal a card from your Graveyard!"

The giggling gremlin appeared, and produced a card… the Sword of Deep-Seated!

"No!" said Yugi.

"I'm Equipping it to Ryu Senshi," said Stalt, "and NOW he should be strong enough!"

The Warrior's normal sword was replaced by the Sword of Deep Seated, and his stats went to 2,900/1,700.

"Attack!" shouted Stalt. Ryu Senshi brought the sword down on the Dark Magician, and he was destroyed. Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,600.

"Yes!!" said Jess and Stalt together. They gave each other a high-five.

"Inconceivable!" said Clive. "They beat the Dark Magician!"

"Have hope people," said Jade.

But now, even she was starting to have doubts.

Mary drew.

Ah, here we go, she thought.

"Red Eyes Black Dragon in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and the huge, dark dragon appeared in an explosion. (2,400/2,000)

"And now," said Mary. "I give him the Horn of the Unicorn!"

She put down the Equip, and the Red Eyes's Attack power went up to 3,100.

"Attack!" said Mary. "Inferno fireball attack!"

The Red Eyes blasted its breath weapon, reducing Ryu Senshi to ashes. Jess and Stalt's Life Points were reduced to 1,200 apiece.

"And now," continued Mary. "One card facedown, and I'll finish my turn."

Jess drew, and then she laughed.

"Watch this brother," she said. "It's a scream." She turned to Yugi and Mary. "I'm going to fry the both of you with my Tremendous Fire card!"

She slapped down the card, and flames erupted around Yugi and Mary! Yugi covered his eyes and Mary screamed.

"Of course," said Jess, "I lose 500 Life Points for doing that, but now _you_ both lose twice as many!"

The scores stood at Yugi: 600, Mary: 733, Jess: 700, Stalt: 1,200.

"My next trick won't get at your Life Points, Mary," continued Jess, "but it will pave the way for victory later. I play the Spell Card Block Attack!"

She put the card down, and the Red Eyes shifted into Defense position.

"And now," said Jess, I summon Zombyra the Dark!"

She put the card down, and a Warrior in a fancy black costume, cape, and a mask resembling a fanged skull leapt onto the field. (2,100/500).

"Attack, Zombyra!" said Jess. "Super-powered punch attack!"

Zombyra charged, and socked the Red Eyes in the head, smashing the Dragon's skull. The Red Eyes vanished.

At that point, Zombyra's Attack power dropped to 1,900. Yugi knew that this Monster lost 200 Attack points every time he attacked.

But still he wasn't pleased.

Disgusting, he thought. Zombyra the Dark is a superhero who defends the innocent… to think that one of Remi's henchmen is using him against us…

He drew.

Finally! He said.

"I'll first aid Mary," he said, "By increasing her score with Red Medicine…"

He put down the card, and Mary's Life Points went up to 1,233.

"Now I'll summon the Giant Soldier of Stone in Defense Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the huge rock fighter appeared.

"And now," said Yugi. "I'll wipe out your Fusion Gate with Harpie's Feather Duster!"

He put the card down, and the large feather appeared, shattering the Fusion Gate.

"There!" said Yugi. "No more fusions!"

"You really think so?" said Stalt. "Is that your turn?"

"Yes."

Stalt drew.

"Then I'll first play this card I had in my hand… another Fusion Gate!"

Yugi and Mary gasped, as he put it down, and the gateway reappeared.

"You think we're stupid?" said Stalt. "Both my sister and I have three copies of the card in each of our decks. So I now have one left, and she has all three remaining… you'll never destroy all of them!"

"Man, can we ever catch a break!" said Clive.

"Now then," said Stalt, "I'll first aid my sister with Soul of the Pure!"

He put the healing card down, and Jess's Life Points went up to 1,500.

"Now I'll summon Maryokutai in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a skull with a ruby-red sphere for a cranium surrounded by mist floated over the grid. (900/900)

"You know what's coming next," said Stalt. "Go Fusion Gate!"

Zombyra and Maryokutai floated into the gate, and it glowed again.

"Now what?" said Mary.

"I'm not sure…" said Yugi.

"Come forth," said Stalt, "The Last Warrior From Another Planet!!"

A hulking form leapt from the gate. It looked like an ugly alien covered with cybernetic machinery. (2,350/2,300)

"This fusion monster is very special," said Jess. "So long as he is on the field, no Monster other than this one can be summoned in Attack Mode!"

"You got that," said Stalt. "And he won't even give you a chance to shift them into Attack Mode! Go Last Warrior! Attack the Giant Solder of Stone with cosmic cannons attack!"

The Last Warrior From Another Planet aimed its weapons and blasted them, blowing the Giant Soldier to dust.

Have to help Yugi, thought Mary, drawing. He used this card to help me…

"I'll use my own Red Medicine on Yugi's Life Points!" she said, putting the card down.

Yugi's Life Points rose to 1,100.

"Now I'll summon the Robotic Knight in Defense Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and the Machine soldier appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"That will do it for me…" she said.

"Heh, heh," said Jess. "The end is near… I'll Equip our Last Warrior with Fairy Meteor Crush!"

She put the card down, and The Last Warrior's eyes blazed with fire. Yugi's friends gasped.

"I should have known," said Yugi.

"Now," said Jess, "attack the Robotic Knight! Cosmic cannons attack!!"

The Last Warrior blew the Knight away. Mary's Life Points slipped to 683.

"Face it," said Jess. "You're doomed! I'll end my turn by summoning the X-Head Tank in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and a yellow piece of artillery with arms appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"Please, when the two of you fall," she laughed, "feel free to scream to your hearts' content! It will make the victory all the more enjoyable!"

They're setting up another fusion, thought Yugi. But I have to get rid of the Warrior first…

"You haven't won yet!" said Yugi, making a draw. "I'm using Monster Reborn to bring back my Dark Magician!"

The Dark Magician reappeared in Defense position.

"And what good will that do you?" said Stalt. "His Defense is lower than our Last Warrior's attack, and when it's my turn, he'll be back in your Graveyard!"

"Your Last Warrior won't survive to your turn," said Yugi.

"What do mean?" said Stalt. "He can't attack…"

"Yes, but even when he's in Defense Mode, he has other options," said Yugi. "Such as this Spell Card, the Thousand Knives!!"

"Huh?" said Stalt.

"I just place it down," said Yugi, "and it allows the Dark Magician to automatically destroy any enemy, even when he's in Defense Mode! Dark Magician, dark rain of blades attack!"

The Dark Magician didn't stand, but he raised his staff, and a flurry of knives appeared, plowing into The Last Warrior From Another Planet! He fell down in a pool of green ooze; Jess's Life Points fell to 925, and Stalt's to 625.

"Unfortunately," said Yugi. "I can't shift him out of Defense Mode this turn, so I'll end my move by laying a card facedown."

Stalt cursed, and he drew.

"I summon the Z-Metal Tank in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and another yellow Machine, this one resembling a crawling tank, appeared on the grid.

"We don't even need the Fusion Gate to fuse our two Monsters this time!" said Stalt. X-Head Cannon and Z-Metal Tank, combine!

The X-Head Cannon lifted itself up and lowered onto the Z-Metal Tank, and the two fused together with a burst of steam. (2,400/2,100)

"Now, XZ-Tank Cannon," said Stalt, "obliterate the Dark Magician with phaser cannon blast!"

The Cannon blasted a barrage of lasers at the Dark Magician…

But when the smoke cleared, he was unhurt! Yugi smiled, holding up his Negate attack trap.

"Curses," said Stalt. "Forgot about that…"

"My turn," said Mary. "I play one card facedown…"

She placed the card down.

"And I summon Giltia the Knight in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and Giltia appeared in kneeling position. (1,850/1500)

Come on, Jess, she thought. Attack us now… My Mirror Force will blow your Cannon apart.

"Sorry, Mary, I won't fall for that," said Jess, "and I don't have to. Our Cannon's effect lets it destroy one Magic or Trap card per round, which is what my dumb brother should have done before he attacked Yugi's Magician!"

"HEY!" said Stalt.

A laser beam fired from the Cannon, and the Mirror Wall shattered.

"Oh, a Mirror Wall, huh?" she said. "Well you're going to pay for that, Mary! Say bye-bye to your Giltia!"

"Jess, wait!" said Stalt.

"Phaser cannon blast!" said Jess. The XZ-Tank Cannon fired, destroying Giltia.

"Now who's an idiot?!" said Stalt. "Now our Cannon is a sitting duck for Yugi's Magician!"

"Oh…" said Jess.

She looked at her cards.

"In that case…" she said.

She thought.

"I'll place the Cannon into Defense Mode," she said. "And put this card facedown."

She set the card facedown, and the XZ-Tank Cannon retracted its weapons.

"Seems you two can't work as a team as well as you think," said Yugi, making a draw. "Now I'm first shifting my Magician into Attack Mode!"

The Magician rose.

"And I'm also summoning the Summoned Skull in Attack Mode!"

The mighty Summoned Skull appeared on the field with a roar. (2,500/1,200)

"Now Dark Magician," said Yugi. "Destroy the XZ-Tank Cannon!"

The Dark Magician blasted his Dark Magic, but then Jess flipped over her facedown card. A Spellbinding Circle ensnared the Dark Magician! His Attack score went down to 1,800.

"A minor setback," said Yugi, as they vanished. "Summoned Skull, _you_ destroy it!"

The Summoned Skull powered up his lightning, and blasted the XZ-Tank Cannon into junk!

"Yes!" said Clive. "They're gonna win it!"

"Finally," said Yugi, "one card facedown."

"Sorry," said Stalt, "but I was hoping you would send out that Skull…"

He took a card from his hand…

"Because I'm going to steal him with Change of Heart!"

He put the card down, and the Summoned Skull was hypnotized! He flew over to Stalt's side.

"And remember when Jess said that destroying Mary's dragon would pave the way for a victory later?" said Stalt. "Here's why… I'm using Monster Reborn to bring him back!"

He threw the card down, and the Red Eyes Black Dragon reappeared next to the Summoned Skull.

"Now," said Stalt, "prepare for one of the greatest fusions in the dueling world! Go Fusion Gate!"

The Red Eyes and the Summoned Skull flew through the Fusion Gate… and unearthly power crackled though the portal…

And a huge shape flew out. Before Yugi and Mary knew it, they were starring eye-to-eye with the Black Skull Dragon!! (3,200/2,500)

"NO!!" said Clive.

Now even Jade started to shiver.

"No…" she said. "They're doomed…"

Yugi quickly reached for his facedown card. "I activate my Trap!" he said. "Thunder of Ruler!"

"Huh?" said Stalt.

"It will force you to skip your Battle Phase for this turn!" said Yugi.

"It will buy you a turn," said Stalt. "Nothing more…

"I'll end my turn there…"

Now what? thought Mary. I have nothing in my deck that will defeat that thing…

"I'll just play a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," she said, laying the card down.

Yugi looked at her. He could see fear welling up in her.

"Fortunately for you," said Jess, "I can't control the Black Skull Dragon since my brother created it himself, so I'll just draw, and that will do it for me…"

"What do we do, Yugi?" said Mary, softly. "We can't win…"

"Show me the cards in your hand, Mary," said Yugi.

She did so.

"We might have a chance," said Yugi, "if I can just hold out for another turn, but you must trust me. When it's your turn again, play the second card on the left."

Mary looked at the card. "Okay," she said.

Yugi drew and took a card from his hand.

"Here's my move," he said. "Magical Hats! Conceal and protect the Dark Magician!"

The blue top hat lowered itself over the Dark Magician, and three clones of itself formed.

"Now then," said Yugi. "Where is my Magician? You'd best guess correctly, because the duel may be riding on this guess!"

"No problem," said Stalt.

Yugi gritted his teeth.

"Attack the hat on the far right!" said Stalt. "Molten fireball attack!"

The beast shot forth its lava-like projectiles, and the hat exploded. Yugi and Mary braced themselves…

The smoke cleared.

"Arrgh! Empty!" said Stalt.

"That's right," said Yugi. "Now then, Mary?"

"You sure?" said Mary.

"Trust me…" said Yugi.

"I'll trust you…" said Mary. "Flame Swordsman, in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and the Flame Swordsman appeared. (1,800/1,600)

Siegfried gazed.

Oh, I see, Yugi, he thought.

"Humph," said Jess. "You think he'll help you? I'll just draw and pass again…"

She did so.

"Your move Yugi," she said with a grin.

"Indeed," said Yugi. "I command my Dark Magician to appear!"

The three other players gasped in surprise, as the Magical Hats disintegrated. The Dark Magician, skill bound by the Spellbinding Circle, was exposed.

"Now," said Yugi. "You like Fusion Monsters so much? Here's a Fusion Monster for you… I'll use the Fusion Gate myself to fuse my Dark Magician with Mary's Flame Swordsman! GO!!"

"You can't fuse those two!" said Stalt.

"Seems like someone hasn't done his homework," Yugi.

The Spellcaster and the Warrior were sucked into the gate and the energy crackled. After a few seconds, out of the gate emerged a Warrior in black and red armor, with a huge shield and a burning saber!

"I give you," said Yugi, "In Attack Mode, **The Dark Flare Knight!!**"

(2,200/800)

Everyone, including Mary, was shocked. But then Stalt grinned.

"You fool," said Stalt. "You used Mary's Monster to make that Knight, and his Attack power is far lower than my Dragon's! When I attack on my round, Mary's Life Points will be all gone!"

"Then attack if you dare," said Yugi. "I can't stop you…"

"YUGI!!" said Mary.

"Black Skull Dragon," shouted Stalt. "Molten fireball attack!!"

The Black Skull Dragon blasted its fireballs, and the Dark Flare Knight was obliterated!

"Yes!" said Stalt. "We win!! Huh?"

He looked at his screen.

"What?" he said. "Their Life Points are the same?"

Yugi chuckled.

"The Dark Flare Knight has two powerful effects," he said. "When destroyed in battle, no damage is done to the Life Points of his controller. And as for the _other_ effect…"

A bright light enveloped the grid, and a large form appeared.

"When destroyed," said Yugi. "His death throes summon a greater Warrior, the mighty champion known as the Mirage Knight!"

A Warrior totally encased in golden armor appeared on the field, holding a huge golden scythe! (2,800/2,000)

"Huh," said Stalt. "Big deal! My Dragon is still stronger!"

"Is he?" said Yugi. "Mary, you have to do it now!"

"But…" said Mary. "All right… Mirage Knight, attack the Black Skull Dragon…"

The Mirage Knight raised his scythe… and suddenly, his Attack score skyrocketed, going up to 6,000!

"WHAT!" said Jess and Stalt together.

"When the Mirage Knight does battle," said Yugi, his attack score is increased by an amount equal to his _opponent's_ attack score! Simply put, the Mirage Knight _cannot_ be defeated in battle!"

"Yes!" said Mary. "Scythe of burning light attack!"

The Mirage Knight leapt into the air and brought his weapon down on the Black Skull Dragon, and the Fiend burst into an explosion on dark goo!

Stalt's Life Points fell to zero.

"No!" said Jess.

"Impossible…" said Stalt. "How could we… ARRGH!"

His and his sister's seats fell apart, and the two of them fell from the station.

Mary looked down. "What a way to go…" she said. "I almost feel sorry for them… Yugi! Look!"

Yugi looked, and saw that Jess and Stalt were floating down to the ground on parachutes. Obviously, that was the purpose of the strange backpacks they were wearing.

"Typical," said Yugi. "But at least we survived…"

The dueling station retreated back to the observation deck and the window closed. Yugi and Mary undid their seatbelts, gathered their decks and got down.

"Well," said Jade, looking towards the Castle. "You lose again, Remi."

"Man," said Peter. "I thought you were goners! Why didn't you ever tell us you knew how to create that Monster?"

"Didn't think it would ever become necessary," said Yugi. "It isn't like I could ever ask Mary to give me her favorite card…"

"Yet," said Jade. "I see it as symbolic. Both of your favorite Monsters can combine and form a force that literally cannot be defeated in battle. The bond between the Dark Magician and the Flame Swordsman no doubt saved you both from death today… perhaps the bond between you is stronger than either of you believe…"

Yugi and Mary looked at each other.

Inside his head, the Spirit spoke up.

"Jade has a point there," he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes earlier, Jess and Stalt landed roughly on the street below. Parachuting from a grounded height – like a skyscraper – is a dangerous stunt that requires incredible training, and it isn't easy.

After they picked themselves up, Jess spoke up.

"A brilliant escape, brother," she said. "The parachutes were a great idea…"

"Yes," said Stalt. "But we didn't keep our side of the bargain, and it won't be long before Remi sends his forces swooping down upon us. We'd best find a place to hide before it is too late…"

"Oh, it's already too late, folks," said a voice.

A gust of wind blew over them, and a whirlwind formed in front of them. Within a moment, a man in a purple robe stepped out.

"MANTRA!!" said Jess and Stalt in fear.

They started to run, but the Dark Four member raised his hand, and a wall of fire cut off their escape.

"Naughty, naughty, you two," said Mantra. "When Remi gave you this assignment, he explained quite clearly that you'd be bound to the same rules as your opponents… he doesn't like cheaters…"

"Mercy, please!" said Jess.

"Mercy, eh?" said Mantra.

He took out a pack of cards and shuffled.

"Make you a deal," he said. "We'll just play a little game… each one of us will draw a card from my deck… if the Monster I draw has less Attack points than either of the ones you draw, I won't kill you."

He held the deck out.

"BUT," he added. "To make it fun, if you lose, the card I draw will decide your fate…"

Jess's hand shook as she took a card. She looked at it.

"Ha!" she said. "Suijin! 2,500 Attack points!"

Mantra handed it to Stalt, and he took one.

"Heh, heh," he said. "Sanga of Thunder! That's 100 points higher!"

"Well then," said Mantra. "Let's see…"

He drew.

"Oh, look," he said. "Valkyrion the Magna Warrior, with 3,500 Attack points!"

Jess and Stalt drew back in fear.

"And seeing as Valkyrion is a Rock Monster…" said Mantra.

He pointed at the two of them, and they screamed.

The smoke cleared, and he approached them, or what was left of them.

He had turned them into stone.

He took his cards beck from their petrified hands, and then took a cell phone out of his robe. He punched in some numbers.

"Hey boss?" he said. "Yeah, I took care of them. You have any need for a pair of five-foot-six paperweights?"

He listened.

"Oh, right, sure. Can do."

He took a sheet of paper and a tape dispenser from his robes, and quickly taped the paper to Jess's forehead.

He gazed into the lobby of the Empire State Building, and saw that Yugi and his friends were coming out of the elevator. Quickly, he vanished into the wind, just as he came.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SWEET REVENGE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A warrior being pursued by a ghostly shape.

**Card Description:** Activate when a Monster you controlled is destroyed by battle and you take damage. Destroy all face-up Monsters your opponent controls.


	21. War of the Wyrms

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Twenty**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**War of the Wyrms**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi and his friends exited the building, they stopped short in fear. The statues of the foes they just faced were in front of them, and they didn't believe for an instant that they were simple artwork.

Jess and Stalt's faces were frozen in a combination of agony and sheer terror from the attack. Chills ran down the spines of the three friends.

"How?" said Clive.

"Remi must have done this to punish them," said Yugi. "This is even more ghastly than the death they had meant for Mary and me…

"Man," he said, taking the note off Jess's face, "Remi is more powerful than we could ever imagine…"

He looked at the folded note. It said, "To Siegfried" on it.

"Um, Siegfried, it's for you," he said.

Siegfried took it and opened it up.

"Well this is strange," he said.

He read:

_Siegfried:_

_Trek down southward, four blocks down,_

_When you get there, a phone will sound,_

_What then do you ask?_

_Answer the phone to get your next task._

"That isn't a riddle," said Peter. "That's a straightforward instruction."

"Still," said Siegfried. "We'd best find this phone."

"Be careful," said Mary. "No doubt Remi has your number up this time..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Walking four blocks south took all of ten minutes. When they were in generally the right place, they soon heard a phone ringing. It came from a pay phone not twenty feet from them.

"You'd better get it, Sieg," said Yugi.

"Try to stop me," said Siegfried.

He went to the phone, and picked it up.

"Is this you, Remi?!" he said. "Because if it is…"

"Don't jump the gun, Kaiba," said a voice with a definite French accent. "I am talking to Siegfried Kaiba, nephew of the great Seto Kaiba, am I not?"

"That's me," said Siegfried.

"I hear you are quite good," said the voice. "Undefeated at Duel Monsters, correct?"

"That would be a lie," said Siegfried. "One person has beaten me. And I'd really like to know who is putting out exaggerated rumors… it really undermines my ability to lose, and I can't afford that, not in this economy…"

"Save your sarcasm, Kaiba," said the voice. "No matter how proud you are of your record, I am not impressed. You say one person has beaten you? NONE have ever beaten me. And you think you're so special because of your three super-ultra-secret-rare Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards? A punk like you isn't worthy to even look at such masterpieces…"

"WHAT?!" said Siegfried. "Why I oughta…"

"Neither was your uncle," said the voice. "He was the biggest waste of water and carbon ever to run the dueling circuit."

"Now you listen here," said Siegfried, getting angry. "My uncle was a great man… he was…"

"He was an arrogant, condescending, greedy, disrespectful, jealous, egotistical, blowhard who couldn't see the forest for the trees," said the voice.

Siegfried paused.

"Okay, so he had his faults," said Siegfried, "but he had a lot of good points."

"Name one."

"_He treated my father, my mother, and me with nothing but the greatest respect!!_" shouted Siegfried.

There was a long pause. Then the speaker laughed.

"So you say," he said. "Well, you're looking at him through family eyes…"

"If you want me to," said Siegfried, "I'll rip out _your_ eyes and look at him with _them!_ Who is this!!"

"My name is Tepes Vlad," said the voice. "And if you think you and your uncle are truly worthy of the legend connected to your family name, come to Grand Central Station and prove it."

He hung up.

"Well?" said Yugi.

Siegfried explained.

"That jerk," he said. "He called my uncle an 'arrogant, condescending, greedy, disrespectful, jealous, egotistical, blowhard who couldn't see the forest for the trees'."

"Um…" said Yugi.

"Uh…" said Mary.

"What?" said Siegfried.

"Nothing," said Yugi. "We'd best get to Grand Central; it isn't far..."

"Who do you think this Tepes Vlad is?" said Siegfried.

"Well," said Yugi, "_Vlad Tepes_, also known as Vlad the Impaler, was a fifteenth century Romanian tyrant… whom Bram Stoker based his character Dracula on…"

"Maybe this guy has a Zombie deck," said Peter.

"Or maybe a Fiend deck," said Mary.

"Whatever deck he plays," said Siegfried, "I can take him… that insulting little…"

"Take care, Siegfried," said Jade. "If you can not master your anger, anger will be your master."

"What?" said Siegfried. "Where did you hear _that_?"

"Oh, Siegfried," said Jade. "I have spent my life reading books full of quotations written by ancient sages and learned scholars…

"However, _that_ one I happened to find inside a fortune cookie…"

Everyone looked at her.

"What?" she said. "Can I not make a joke once in a while?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At Grand Central Station's cavernous main lobby, a man spoke on a cell phone underneath the information desk, where the famous four-faced clock tower stood. He was in his mid-twenties, with a feral look on his face, wearing an expensive Italian suit, and a long cape.

"Yes Monsieur Farikoh, they are on their way right now," he said.

"Fine," said Remi. "I trust you know what to do."

"I trust you will remember our deal, Monsieur?" said the man.

"Don't call me 'Monsieur,' Tepes, I don't like it!" said Remi. "And I keep my promises. Defeat Siegfried, and you may have his three Blue-Eyes cards… I care little for them. But I trust you will abide by the rules… my last duelists didn't, and they paid dearly for it…"

"Do you believe that brat is capable of defeating me?!" said Tepes. "I am unbeatable! I am the greatest in the world!"

"Don't be so full of yourself!" said Remi. "Any of my Dark Four could defeat you within ten rounds! You called Seto Kaiba and egotist… that is truly the pot calling the kettle black, Tepes!"

"How dare you!" said Tepes. "I will…"

"I will speak to you after your duel," said Remi, "should you still be alive."

He hung up.

Remi sat down on his dark throne in his Castle and put the phone away.

"I hate the French," he said. "They have lousy artwork, lousy accommodations, lousy attitudes… I never liked desserts that have to be lit on fire… "

He looked towards the large gem in the corner.

"Maybe once my plans are complete I'll suggest that they be the first country we enslave…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The team entered Grand Central Station's main promenade with an angry Siegfried leading the way.

"Okay, Mr. Vlad, I'm here!" he said. "Where are you!"

"Patience, Kaiba," said Tepes's voice. "Come to the center of the main hall, and you'll get what's coming to you…"

"This guy is going to get it," said Siegfried.

"Siegfried!!" said Yugi.

Siegfried turned to him, and saw that the Spirit had merged with him.

"Whether it was a joke or not," said Yugi, "there was truth in what Jade said. Anger will just cloud your vision and your judgment. You must remain calm, or you will have already lost!"

Siegfried took a few deep breaths. "Okay," he said. "I'm not angry, I'm not angry…"

Who am I kidding? he thought. I am angry… but I won't let this guy beat me…

They walked to the center of the station. Before their eyes, a dueling station, fully twice as large as the one from the duel with Jess and Stalt, rose out of the floor. They all couldn't believe it, not even Yugi. By square foot, it was larger in area than his dining room at home.

Then two more things rose up from the floor, one at the near-left side of the station (near them), one at the far left, each placed beside where the duelists were to stand. They looked like large marble statues… statues of evil, winged dragons with gaping jaws.

Slowly, the station lifted a man into position on the far end. Tepes Vlad looked down at them. The dragon statue next to him seemed ready to pounce and devour him, but he didn't seem concerned.

"So glad you could make it, Kaiba," he said. "Welcome to the site of your second… and last… defeat. When this duel is done, Tepes Vlad will be known as the one who toppled the great Kaiba name!"

"Don't count your chickens yet, buddy," said Siegfried.

"Well, I'm not one to beat around the bush," said Tepes. "So step up here… right next to the dragon…"

"You think a stone dragon scares me?!" said Siegfried. He mounted the duelist station, and it lifted him up into position.

"You may not be scared now," said Tepes, "but you might be once you get a small sample of what the loser of this duel will face…"

A whir was heard, and a small gout of mist emitted from the mouth of the dragon next to Siegfried. He shrieked and drew back.

"What?!" said Mary. "Hot?!"

"No!" said Siegfried. "Cold! Cold as ice…"

"Condensed nitrogen," said Tepes. "In near-liquid form. If you lose this duel, you'll be doused with it; the effect will be fatal in ten to fifteen seconds!

"Quite a reversal of the common cliché, eh? Instead of fire, these dragons breathe ice! But it might as well be fire – the result will be the same!"

"Fine," said Siegfried. "But if that's supposed to scare me, you'll have to try harder!"

"Well then," said Tepes, taking his deck out. "I'll just have to dish it out…"

"Enough with your talk," said Siegfried. "It's time to duel!"

The scores set themselves, and the two of them made their draws.

"Feel free to make the first move," said Tepes. "It hardly matters to me…"

"Fine," said Siegfried, putting down a card. "I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode!"

A tiny lamp appeared, and the huge green genie appeared out of it in a puff of smoke. (1,800/1,000)

"Humph, impressive," said Tepes. "I summon… Petite Dragon, in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a [I]tiny[/I] yellow, legless dragon with feathered wings appeared. It squeaked. (600/700)

Yugi's friends all gazed in disbelief.

"What the hell is [I]that?![/I]" said Peter.

Yugi was deep in thought.

A throwaway Monster? he thought. This is truly uncanny…

"What are you doing?" said Siegfried. "You think you can insult me like this by throwing out that pathetic…"

"Too late to take my move back…" said Tepes.

"Fine," said Siegfried. "La Jinn, mystical magic attack!"

La Jinn thrust his hands forward, and vaporized the Petite Dragon.

"Now get serious!" said Siegfried.

Tepes put a card down. "Lesser Dragon in Defense Mode!"

A small, black, wingless Dragon appeared on the field. (1,200/1,000)

"That's my move," said Tepes.

"If you think I am impressed, I am not!" said Siegfried. "La Jinn, attack!"

La Jinn cast his spell, and destroyed the Lesser Dragon.

"Anything else?" said Tepes.

"No."

"Good. First, I'll set the Spell Card Short Leash,"

"Short Leash?" said Siegfried. "What does that do?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" said Tepes.

"Hey, that's breaking the rules!" said Siegfried.

"No it isn't," said Yugi.

"Huh?" said Siegfried.

"If you don't know what a card does," said Yugi, "he doesn't have to tell you its effect until it actually comes into play… and I'm sorry, but I've never heard of it either…"

"I'm glad someone knows the rules," said Tepes. "Now then, I'll summon Pitch Dark Dragon in Defense Mode!"

A large, black, winged dragon appeared on the field. (900/600)

Okay, thought Siegfried. There must be some reason he's throwing out weaklings in Defense… but why?

"La Jinn, attack!" he said. La Jinn destroyed the Pitch Dark Dragon.

"Come on!" said Siegfried. "Stop insulting me and give me something better!"

Tepes drew. "Your wish is my command," he said.

He put a card down.

"Shadow Wyrm, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and black smog appeared on the grid; a large dragon, as dark as midnight, crawled out. (1,000/0)

"Very pretty," said Siegfried. "But he's as weak as the others."

"Au contraire, Kaiba," said Tepes. "I used those three throwaways to lead you deep into a trap. To make up for his low Attack score and nonexistent Defense score, the Shadow Wyrm has a powerful special effect… he gains 500 Attack points for every Dragon I have in my Graveyard! And you sent three of them there! Do the math!"

The Shadow Wyrm's attack score rose to 2,500!

"Shadow Wyrm," said Tepes, "attack that genie with shadow blast attack!!"

The Shadow Wyrm let forth a blast of pure darkness, and La Jinn was eroded into nothing! Siegfried's Life Points fell to 1,300!

"And, I'll finish by putting two cards facedown," said Tepes.

"Wait…" said Yugi. "Oh, now I get it!"

"What?" said Mary.

"This guy named himself after Vlad the Impaler, who was a member of a group called 'The Dragons,' a military organization devoted to fighting the Turks! The name 'Dracula' even means 'son of the Dragon' in Romanian!

"This guy's deck has nothing to do with the fictitious Dracula… he's playing a [I]Dragon-themed[/I] deck!"

Siegfried heard him, and now he was starting to be afraid. Dragons were some of the strongest Monsters in Dueling… he should know…

He drew.

Jackpot! he thought.

"I summon my first Blue-Eyes White Dragon, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the Blue-Eyes appeared in a fierce explosion.

"Blue-Eyes!" he said. "Attack the Shadow Wyrm! White Lightning!"

The Blue-Eyes blasted forth his thunderous weapon, and the Shadow Wyrm was disintegrated. Tepes's Life points fell to 1,500.

"That will be all for me," said Siegfried.

"Sorry Kaiba," said Tepes, "But I knew you were going to bring out that creature, which is why I set this Trap…"

He flipped a card over.

"The Dragon Capture Jar!"

The demonic looking jar appeared and its eyes glowed. The Blue-Eyes curled up into Defense position.

"It will force your Blue-Eyes into Defense Mode and keep it there," said Tepes. "Along with your other two Blue-Eyes if you summon them!"

"Yeah, well, the same goes for your Dragons, too!" said Siegfried.

"No it won't!" said Tepes. "Not when I play this Spell Card… Escape Artist!"

He put the card down.

"And I [I]will[/I] tell you what this one does…" he said. "It protects my Monsters from any of my Traps that affect both sides of the field, ensuring that the Jar's debilitating effect only effects [I]yours![/I]"

Siegfried growled.

"Now," continued Tepes, "One more card facedown, and I'll summon Ryu-Ran in Attack Mode!"

A huge egg appeared on the grid and hatched, revealing a fierce red dragon. (2,200/2,600).

Siegfried drew.

He thinks he's got me, thought Siegfried, but he doesn't know that I have my trump card, one that will bring this duel to a fiery conclusion!

"I first summon the beautiful warrior woman from the Different Dimension," said Siegfried. "D.D. Warrior Lady in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the female armored knight appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"And now," said Siegfried. "I'm using Polymerization to fuse her with my Blue-Eyes!"

He put the card down, and the Warrior and the Dragon melted into to globes of radiant light. The merged, and the shining form of Dalama the White stepped out! (3,500/3,000)

"And since Dalama is a Warrior, not a Dragon," said Siegfried, "she's immune to your Dragon Capture Jar! So I put her in Attack Mode!"

"Oh dear!" said Tepes, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'd be more scared if I were you," said Siegfried, "because I'm activating Dalama's effect now… Dalama, seize control of Ryu-Ran now!"

Dalama lifted her shield and it glowed. Ryu-Ran growled a little…

"What?!" said Siegfried. "It isn't working! She should have been able to control that Dragon!"

"THAT is the magic of Short Leash!" said Tepes. "I knew you would bring out Dalama… I've been studying you for a long time. Short Leash is a Continuous Spell Card that prevents my opponent from controlling my Monsters by any means!"

"Yeah?" said Siegfried. "Well, you may have foiled her effect, but Dalama is a powerful Monster nonetheless! Dalama, attack Ryu-Ran! Blade of dragon's fury!"

Dalama brandished her sword and charged…

Tepes flipped his other facedown card, and Dalama froze in place!

"The Spellbinding Circle!" said Siegfried.

"Correct, Kaiba," said Tepes. "Like I said, I knew you were going to send out that knight…"

Dalama's Attack score fell to 2,800.

"So, any other stupid move you'd like to make?" said Tepes.

"Just move!" said Siegfried.

"I will," said Tepes, drawing. "I'll Equip Ryu-Ran with Salamandra!"

He put the card down, and Ryu-Ran blazed with fire! The Dragon's Attack strength rose to 2,900.

"Now," said Tepes, "Attack Dalama! Fire stream attack!"

Ryu-Ran blew a huge gout of flames, and Dalama the White was reduced to ashes. Siegfried's Life Points fell further to 1,200.

"Oh my God…" said Mary. "He took out one of Siegfried's best Monsters!"

"And unless he can get both the Dragon and the Polymerization card back," said Peter, "he can't summon the Ultimate Blue Eyes! Unless he has two Polymerization cards… does he?"

Siegfried drew.

"Now I've got him…" he said.

"Remove Trap!" he said, slapping a card down. The Dragon Capture Jar shattered.

"And now," said Siegfried, "here comes my second prize card…"

He put the card down, and another Blue-Eyes rose onto the grid, in Attack Mode! (3,000/2,500)

"Blue-Eyes," said Siegfried. "White lightning!"

The Blue-Eyes blasted Ryu-Ran, blowing the smaller Dragon away. Tepes's Life Points fell to 1,400.

"Big deal," said Tepes. "Now that I no longer need my Short Leash or Escape Artist cards, I'm going to use my Emergency Provisions card!"

Clive gasped. "Randy used that card against me!" he said.

"I send those two cards to the Graveyard," said Tepes, "and my Life Points go up by 2,000 points!"

His Life Points rose up to 3,400.

"Now then," said Tepes, "I'll just play this Spell Card, perhaps you might recognize it…"

He held up a card showing a cartoonish black cat with a huge grin popping out of a book of some sort.

"The Doppelganger?" said Siegfried.

"That's right!" said Tepes, putting it down. The outline of the card appeared, and a large shape resembling a cross between a cat and huge dark serpent rose from it. He giggled.

No doubt the work of Remi's Rare Hunters again, thought Yugi.

"Know why this guy is so happy, Kaiba?" said Tepes. "Because he can transform into any Magic, Trap, or Monster card you have on the field or your Graveyard! And he's going to transform into a copy of that Blue-Eyes White Dragon you have on the field right now. Go, Doppelganger!"

The Doppelganger curled into a ball, and burst into a shiny ball of light. Before Siegfried's eyes, another Blue-Eyes appeared in front of him.

"You idiot," said Siegfried. "If you had any sense, you'd have had him copy Dalama!"

Tepes paused. It was clear he hadn't realized that option.

"Aw, who cares," he said (although he clearly [I]did[/I] care that he made a big mistake). "I can still defeat you. I'm equipping this Blue-Eyes with Dragon Treasure!"

He put down the Equip, and the fake Blue-Eyes's attack score rose to 3,300.

"Now, attack, my Blue-Eyes!" said Tepes. "White lightning!"

The fake Blue-Eyes blasted its breath weapon at the real one, and Siegfried's Dragon exploded. His Life Points slipped to 900.

I told you that you weren't worthy of using those Blue-Eyes White Dragons," said Tepes. "But take comfort in the fact that once that statue turns you into a Popsicle, they'll be going to a much better owner… namely me!"

"You challenged me because you want them for yourself?" said Siegfried, now astonished.

An idea came to his head.

"Something you forgot about, frenchie," he said. "If that statue douses me with nitrogen, it will almost certainly douse my whole deck, reducing all my cards into little shards! You're doing this for nothing!"

At this point, Tepes laughed.

"That would indeed be a concern if I were facing most duelists," said Tepes. "But I've done so much research about you Kaiba, and you make a rotten bluff. I know that you keep all your rare cards protected with Kaiba Corp's super-polymer flexible plastic card sheaths… the most expensive thing in trading card preservation, but a must if you have cards as rare as the Blue-Eyes. Completely tear-proof, fire-proof, acid-proof, and by the way, nitrogen proof!"

Siegfried looked at him. He was absolutely correct.

"I know what you're thinking," said Tepes. "Your thinking, 'how can I beat a guy who's done so much research on me?' Well the fact is, you can't!

"And it's your move. But what are you going to do now, Kaiba?" said Tepes. "I doubt you have anything that can defeat this guy…"

Siegfried drew.

"Wrong," he said. "First, one card facedown."

He put the card down.

"Now, the Rude Kaiser in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the armored lizard man with twin axes appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"You going to attack with that?" said Tepes.

"Yes," said Siegfried, "once I play the Spell Card Wild Nature's Release!"

He put the card down.

"It lets me add the Defense score of any Beast or Beast-Warrior to its Attack score," he said. "Which brings my Kaiser's Attack up to 3,400!"

The Rude Kaiser howled, and his Attack score skyrocketed!

"Now, Kaiser," said Siegfried, "Attack with double battle-axe slash!"

The Rude Kaiser leapt up and beheaded the fake Blue-Eyes in one swift stroke! Its body crashed to the ground, and Tepes Life Points fell to 3,300.

Then the Rude Kaiser vanished.

"Of course, I have to send the Kaiser to the Graveyard now," said Siegfried. "So attack me if you dare!"

"All in good time," said Tepes. "First I'll use this Spell Card – the Pillager!"

"Huh?" said Siegfried.

"It simply lets me look at your hand and take one card!" said Tepes. "So lay them down!"

Siegfried reluctantly did.

"Ah," said Tepes. "The Gift of the Mystical Elf. Think I'll take that! Hand it over!"

Siegfried grimaced. He put the card through a slot and Tepes received it.

"You were a fool not to use this on your last turn," he said. "But I'll use it now!"

He put it down, and his Life Points went up to 4,300.

"Now then," said Tepes, "I'll summon one of my mightiest Monsters… the Tri-Horned Dragon in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a huge blue Dragon with horns all over materialized on the grid! (2,850/2,350)

"But I won't risk such a powerful Monster when you have that facedown card," he said. "It hardly matters… I have almost five times as many Life Points as you do!"

"Don't give up, Siegfried!" said Mary.

"Yeah," said Peter. "Don't give up…"

Siegfried drew a card.

"I play the Pot of Greed!" he said, laying it down.

The laughing jar appeared and vanished. He drew two more cards.

"Now," said Siegfried. "First, Red Medicine!"

He put another card down, and his Life Points went up to 1,400.

"And I summon the Swordstalker in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the black clad Warrior appeared. (2,000/1,600)

"The Swordstalker gains 200 Attack points for ever Monster in my Graveyard," said Siegfried. "And there are a few of them… six in fact."

The Swordstalker's attack power went up to 3,200.

"Attack that Dragon!" said Siegfried. "Dark blade of vengeance attack!"

The Swordstalker's blade glowed, and he brought it down on the Tri-Horned Dragon. It burst, and horns scattered all over the grid. Tepes's Life Points fell to 3,950.

"That's all for my turn," said Siegfried.

"I hate your Warrior," said Tepes. "I really hate him…"

He drew.

"So I'm wiping him out with Warrior Elimination!"

He put the Spell Card down, and the Swordstalker grasped his throat. He collapsed and died. Siegfried's Life Points fell to 850.

"Now, to make your end as humiliating as possible," said Tepes, "I summon the Parrot Dragon, in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and a huge, demented parrot appeared.

"Attack him directly!" said Tepes. "Dive bomb attack!"

The Parrot Dragon took to the air… Siegfried's friends gasped…

"But then the Parrot bounced off a wall of force. Siegfried had activated his Negate Attack trap!

"Humph, big deal," said Tepes. "You're losing 850 to 3,950! You'll be decked out before you can bring my points down! There's no way you can win!"

Siegfried drew.

"Want a bet?" he said. "See this card?"

He held it up.

Monster Reborn.

"What, are you going to bring back your Blue-Eyes?" said Tepes. "I can withstand the loss of Life Points, and then I can just…"

"Wrongo," said Siegfried, putting it down.

He put it down, and a familiar figure in shining armor reappeared.

"Dalama the White," said Siegfried, "welcome back!"

(3,500/3,000)

Tepes gazed in horror.

And since you no longer have your Short Leash card protecting you," said Siegfried, "Dalama, seize control of the Parrot Dragon!"

Dalama's shield glowed, and the Parrot Dragon's eyes blurred. It flew over to Dalama's side.

"NO!!" said Tepes.

"Parrot Dragon," said Siegfried. "Attack him directly! Dive bomb attack!"

The Parrot Dragon swooped down on Tepes, and his Life Points dove to 1,950.

"Your turn, Dalama!" shouted Siegfried. "Sword of dragon's fury!"

Dalama raised her sword and charged at Tepes. He covered his eyes as she brought her sword down upon him, wiping out the rest of his Life Points.

"I lost…" said Tepes. "I lost everything…"

Mist started to pour from the mouth of the statue next to him. He looked at it, and covered his face…

A huge spray of white gas shot from the statue's mouth, covering him! He screamed for a second… and then was silent. When everyone looked up, Tepes Vlad was covered with icy frost.

Siegfried gathered his deck and descended from the station. "Any chance he's still alive?" he said.

"No," said Yugi. "That was a close call, but you are victorious."

"Then why am I not happy?" said Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Siegfried retrieved his Gift of the Mystical Elf from his opponent's side of the station… Tepes had been correct… the super-polymer plastic sleeve was indeed nitrogen proof.

Within an hour, the six friends were sitting on the curb outside, in front of an appliance store. Mary was crying softly.

"What's wrong Mary?" said Yugi. "He won…"

"We can't keep winning forever," said Mary. "We've been doing this for days now, and that was the closest call yet! We're no closer to getting into the Castle than we ever were. And sooner or later, Remi is going to send someone to face us whom we can't beat, and one of us will lose, one of us is going to be killed, and when that happens…"

She started to cry more than ever.

"Mary," said Jade, "let me tell you an old parable that my sensei is fond of telling…

"A man is walking though the woods alone… when suddenly, he is attacked by a huge tiger. He flees for his life, and the tiger chases him.

"He comes to a dead end at the edge of a cliff. He turns to face the beast, but the edge below his feet gives way and he falls. He manages to grab onto a branch just below the edge. He is now dangling over two hundred feet in the air, and the branch cannot hold him… it is starting to give way.

"He is now trapped. If he pulls himself up, the tiger will get him. If he stays where he is, he will fall to his death.

"Now, the man knows there is no hope. He knows he is going to die within minutes.

"Looking up, he sees that on the branch he is clinging to there grows a single ripe strawberry.

"He picks the strawberry, and he eats it.

"It is the sweetest strawberry he has ever tasted…"

Everyone was silent for a few minutes.

"I can't believe you Jade," said a voice behind them. "Telling a [I]joke[/I] to try to calm Mary down…"

They turned, and saw Remi's face on the TV screens in the store behind them.

"It has deeper meaning than a mere joke, villain!" said Jade.

"Indeed," said Remi, "but enough about that. I grow tired of this game all of you… if you want to get to my Castle, that is fine with me…"

"Just tell us the place!" said Yugi.

"Not so fast," said Remi. "If you all want to challenge my Castle, then Yugi, you must prove yourself in one more duel… then the doors will open themselves wide.

"Go to Yankee Stadium… and prepare…"

He laughed, and the TV shut itself off.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHADOW WYRM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description: **This card gains 500 Attack Points for each Dragon-Type Monster in its controller's Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHORT LEASH (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **A warrior holding a fiendish creature with a chained leash.

**Card Description: **Control of your Monsters on the field cannot shift to the opposing player.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ESCAPE ARTIST (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **The Fiend on "Fiend Comedian" working his way out of a straightjacket.

**Card Description: **Spell and Trap Cards you control that would normally affect both players only affect your opponent.


	22. Parts and Pieces

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Parts and Pieces**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Many people in New York City have said that there's nothing like a day at the ball park.

And no place in America better personified the Great American Pastime than Yankee Stadium. Known by some as the House That Ruth Built, the structure, more than a century old, was the home of one of the greatest baseball teams of all time… the Bronx Bombers, the Pride of New York, the Yankees.

But tonight, the Yankees were gone, as were their fans, held prisoner by a demon in man's form, and the colossal stadium was empty. As Yugi and his friends entered the enormous coliseum, having been taken here by subway, their senses told them to walk down to the diamond themselves. The place was dark… the watch on Yugi's hand read 8 PM.

Yugi walked up to the pitcher's mound, as an eerie wind blew across the field.

"Well, we're here," said Mary.

"So what now!" said Yugi.

Suddenly, every spotlight in the field flashed on, and the giant screen above the bleachers started to spark.

Remi's face, looking a hundred times larger than life, appeared, with a large smile on his face.

"Welcome friends," he said, his voice echoing over the loudspeakers, "to the place where champions and legends are constantly made… where frequently, players experience the thrill of victory, and agony of defeat…"

The Spirit of the Puzzle merged with Yugi.

"Remi!!" snarled Yugi. "I must insist you keep you promise this time! If I win this match, you will let us into your Castle!"

"Of course Yugi," said Remi. "I am a man of my word. One more duel on the streets of New York, and you can find out what challenges my Castle of Dark Illusions hold. But be careful what you wish for… you may find that up here, it is much deadlier than it is down there…"

"We aren't afraid of you…" said Yugi.

"Then first things first," said Remi. "Consider this, a gift."

He waved his Rod, and a package appeared at Yugi's feet.

"Open it!" said Remi. "It isn't a bomb…"

Yugi unwrapped the package, and lifted a device out. It was a Dueling Disk, just like the magical ones Cassie had conjured up.

"No more archaic dueling stations, folks," he said. "Now we move up to the big leagues."

Yugi slipped it onto his wrist. "Fine," he said. "Where's my opponent? Don't tell me he went to get a hot dog!"

"I'm already here, young Yugi!" said a voice from above.

They looked around.

"Presenting," said the voice, "Mephisto the Amazing!"

A puff of smoke appeared in front of them, and a tall man walked out. He was dressed almost exactly like the White Magical Hat, with the exception of the monocle. He carried a long cane topped with a gold knob in one hand, and held his own dueling disk in the other.

"Now then young Yugi," he said, twirling his cane dramatically, "prepare for a performance like none other! It's showtime!"

"You've got to be kidding," said Peter. "Oh, everybody run, it's Harry Houdini!"

"Do not underestimate, Mephisto," said Remi. "Outside of my special inner circle, he is the best duelist I have. Now, let's get this duel underway, ready or not!"

The ground started to shake under Yugi and his five companions, and they could see that a circle of black energy was forming under them, about twenty feet across. Before they could react, they were lifted into the air by the black disk, and were now hovering a hundred feet above the baseball diamond!

As they watched, Mephisto came into view, perched upon a black disk of his own, twenty feet away from them.

"Now what?" said Mary.

"Very good question," said Remi. "Let's heat things up!"

Suddenly, the Castle of Dark Illusions loomed overhead, now closer than it ever was. A ray of red energy blasted down, striking the field below, and it seemed like the ground of the stadium was being blown apart!

Within moments, the baseball diamond of Yankee Stadium had been transformed into a boiling, frothing, pit of molten lava!

"Mary, what are you doing?" said Peter, who looked down at her.

"Same thing you should be doing," said Mary. "Hanging on for dear life!"

"Now then," said Remi. "Since the reward for winning this duel will be greater than usual, your penalty for losing will be much greater as well. Win, and you gain access to the Castle. Lose, and you _and_ your companions will all be dumped into that inferno below!"

"I'm the one dueling, Remi!" said Yugi. "Leave them out of this!"

"Yugi, Yugi, Yugi," said Remi. "You're in my world now… and here, the only one who makes the rules, is me. I'll check back on you later."

His face vanished.

Mephisto planted his cane beside him and then took out a deck of cards, which he then began to shuffle like a Vegas blackjack dealer. "So then Yugi," he said. "Ready to lose?"

"I must insist," said Yugi, "with my friends' lives at stake, that there will be no cheating on your part!"

Mephisto laughed.

"Cheating? Me?" he said. "Of course not. I don't need to cheat to win against some upstart like you…"

He finished shuffling, and slid his deck into the disk.

But not only will I defeat you fairly, young Yugi, he thought, I will enjoy it. This duel is personal…

I'm surprised you haven't realized it just by looking at me, but in my youth, I was a disciple of one of greatest duelists who ever lived, the great magician Arkana! That is, he was great… until he was defeated and turned into a comatose vegetable by your wretched father!

Well, fear not my dear mentor, you will be avenged, once I destroy the son of your enemy… for while I promised a fair duel, the odds are strongly in my favor…

It took me years of searching, but I have finally collected all five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One! They are among the cards in my deck, and once I get all five in my hand, I will obliterate these brats in one swift stroke!

Yes, my dear friend, the hour of retribution has come…

"Okay," said Yugi, looking at his foe.

The dueling disks came on, the scores were set…

"DUEL!!" they both said.

They both made their five draws.

Mephisto smiled.

A perfect beginning, he thought. Already I have the central card… the head and torso, Exodia the Forbidden One himself! I'm a fifth of the way there…

"You may make the first, move, Yugi," he said. "I always allow my opponent the first move…"

Yugi looked at his hand.

Not much here, he thought. Best defend.

"Beaver Warrior, in Defense Mode!" he said.

He put the card into the slot on his arm, and the small rodent in armor appeared, in mid-air. (1,200/1,500).

"How interesting," said Mephisto, making a draw. "I place one card facedown, and summon the Spirit of the Pot of Greed in Attack Mode!"

He put the cards down; first, his facedown card came into view, and then the Pot of Greed appeared… and a small, ghostly shape floated out of the lid. (100/100)

"What the hell," said Siegfried. "Why did he play a Monster that weak in _Attack_ mode?"

"Good question, Siegfried," said Mephisto. He produced another card, the actual Pot of Greed.

"The reason is, with this weak Monster in Attack Mode, I can play the Pot of Greed, like so…"

He put the card down.

"…and I can now draw _three_ extra cards instead of two!"

He made his draws.

Excellent, he thought, looking at his draws. The Left Leg of the Forbidden One! Two down, three to go.

"I'll end my move there," he said.

Hmm, thought Yugi. That facedown card worries me, but I can't waste this chance to get a good lead in… here goes nothing.

"I'm switching the Beaver Warrior to Attack Mode," he said, turning the card. "Now attack!"

The Beaver Warrior leapt up and charged at the Spirit.

"Not a good idea, said Mephisto, pressing a small button.

His facedown card flipped over, revealing a Mirror Force!

"No!" said Yugi.

The Beaver Warrior was sent hurtling backwards, and he was destroyed. Yugi's Life Points went down to 1,700.

"No…" said Mary.

"Do not panic, Mary," said Jade. "He can recover."

Yugi took a card from his hand.

"I'll finish by summoning Curse of Dragon, in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the huge dragon sprang to life. (2,000/1,500)

Mephisto drew.

"My move will consist of simply switching the Spirit of the Pot of Greed to Defense Mode," he said, turning the card. "Your move."

He's up to something, thought Yugi.

"Curse of Dragon," he said, "fireball attack!"

The Dragon shot forth its fireballs and blew the Spirit apart.

"And I'll lay one card facedown," he said.

He placed it, and the card appeared in front of him.

"Now, are you going to put up defenses all day?" said Yugi. "Because this isn't going to work forever."

He's starting to get wise, thought Mephisto, drawing. And I still need three pieces of Exodia… best go on the offensive…

"I'll summon the Magical Marionette, in Attack Mode," he said.

He put a card down, and a robed sorcerer appeared, holding a string puppet shaped like a knight. (2,000/1,000)

"And I strengthen him with the Book of Secret Arts!" he said, laying down the Equip. The Magical Marionette's Attack power rose to 2,300.

"Now, Marionette," said Mephisto, "go! String-pull slash attack!"

The Spellcaster's puppet grew to man-size, and charged, but then Yugi pressed a button on his disk. His facedown card flipped, and the Magical Marionette was snagged in the Spellbinding Circle! It's Attack power dropped to 1,600.

"No!" said Mephisto. "My Marionette is defenseless!"

"More than you know," said Yugi. "Because now I'm using my Polymerization card to merge Curse of Dragon with _this_ guy, Gaia the Fierce Knight!"

He put the two cards down, and the Curse of Dragon was enveloped in a dark swirl. It burst, and Gaia the Dragon champion flew out! (2,600/2,100)

"Attack!" said Yugi. "Double dragon lance attack!"

Gaia flew towards his foe, and made short work of the Magical Marionette. Mephisto's Life Points were cut in half, down to 1,000.

Mephisto snarled and drew.

Not one of the cards I need, he thought, but I'll soon have one…

"I'm laying a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said, putting down a card. The card appeared in midair in front of him.

"Wonder who it could be?" he said, slyly.

"You make a lousy bluff," said Yugi. "Gaia, attack that facedown card!"

Gaia flew forward, and a female sorcerer with purple hair and a dark robe appeared before being blasted out of existence.

"The Witch of the Black Forest!" exclaimed Yugi.

"That's right," said Mephisto.

He plugged his hand of cards into a special holder on the duel disk, and removed his deck.

"So now I can search my deck for any Monster I want with a Defense of 1,500 or lower, and add it to my hand!"

He found what he was looking for. There, he thought. The Right Arm of the Forbidden One! Two more to go…

He placed the card with the other cards in his hand.

"Now, I just reshuffle…" he said.

He did so, plugged his deck back into the disk, and picked up his hand again.

"…and it's my turn. I'll play _another_ Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and turn it over to you!"

Another card appeared in midair before him.

Yugi was watching him intently.

That card he just set _wasn't_ the card he searched for, he thought. No doubt about it… he's planning some sort of long term strategy. The question is, what?

He drew. He looked at the card strangely.

Maybe this can shed some light on the subject.

"One card facedown," he said. "Now, my Dragon Champion, attack that facedown Monster!"

The Dragon champion flew forward… and this time the Monster that appeared was a creepy looking wizard in colorful clothes with a staff. He let out a bone-chilling scream before the Dragon Champion skewered him.

Mephisto laughed. "You just killed my Old Vindictive Magician!" he said. "Which means your Dragon Champion is toast!"

Flames enshrouded the Dragon Champion, and he was gone. Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,050.

"Man," said Peter, "This guy's good."

"Let's not hope too good," said Clive. "Of all the things I thought might someday kill me, I must admit a volcano was never one of them…"

"I'll finish my turn by summoning the Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," said Yugi.

He put the card down, and the Mystical Elf appeared, floating on the air in front of him. (800/2,000)

"Very good," said Mephisto. "Then I will summon the Gemini Elf, in Attack Mode."

He placed the card down, and the two twin elves appeared, side by side. (1,900/800)

"And that will end my move," he said.

"Then why don't I just activate this Trap card," said Yugi. "The Eye of Truth!"

"Huh?" said Mephisto.

A huge purple eye appeared over Yugi, and then suddenly, five cards appeared in front of Mephisto, the five in his hand! Exodia and the two limbs he currently had were now in plain sight!

Mary, Peter, Clive, and Siegfried cowered back in fear, and for the first time ever, even Jade looked scared.

"Exodia!" said Yugi. "You're trying to build Exodia!"

Mephisto chuckled as the cards vanished. "So you saw my strategy," he said. "Big deal! You can't stop me from drawing the right cards! In fact, I prefer it this way! Just seeing the fear in all your eyes as I move ever closer to an automatic win will make it all the sweeter! Soon, my mentor will be avenged!"

"Your 'mentor'?" said Yugi.

"An old foe of your father's Yugi," said Mephisto. "One of the greatest duelists the world has known… he knew him as Arkana!"

Yugi paused.

Then he laughed. Yugi laughed out loud.

"You dare laugh at me?!" said Mephisto.

"Sorry," said Yugi, "that is just hilarious. You actually hero-worshipped _Arkana_?"

"Keep going…" said Mephisto.

"My father told me all about Arkana," said Yugi. "He was one of the biggest idiots in Duel Monster history!"

"What?!" said Mephisto. "How was he an idiot?!"

"He was completely obsessed with the Dark Magician," said Yugi. "He had two copies of the card, the Thousand Knives card, the Curtain of the Dark One card, and who knows what else… And yet, he was completely ignorant about the very existence of the Dark Magician Girl! It was that dumb ignorance that enabled my father to defeat him. I mean, you would think a smart duelist would have done some proper research on the central card of his deck!

"That's why he was an idiot, Mephisto; as a duelist, he not only couldn't see the forest for the trees, he couldn't see the trees at all!"

Mephisto was clearly angry. Not because Yugi was insulting his mentor… but because he knew deep down inside that Yugi had just made an excellent argument, one which seemed to prove that the man he had admired all his life was nothing but a fool.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" said Yugi.

"You still won't defeat me!" said Mephisto. "Only two more good draws, and I'll be able to summon Exodia send you all to a fiery doom!"

"Not if I defeat you first…" said Yugi.

He looked at his hand, but had nothing that could defeat the Gemini Elf.

"But I think I will conclude my move there…"

"Fine," said Mephisto. He drew.

He laughed as he looked at his card.

The Right Leg of the Forbidden One! he thought. Now I only need the Left Arm, and victory will be mine!

He added it to his hand.

"I will strengthen my Gemini Elf with Invigoration!" he said, placing an Equip down. The Gemini Elf started to glow brightly, and their Attack power went up to 2,200.

"Now, Attack the Mystical Elf!" he said. "Dual-magic attack!"

The elf twins gestured, and shot a blaze of energy at the Mystical Elf, annihilating her.

Look at the way he's grinning, thought Yugi. That card he just drew must be another limb, I just know it. I have to do something…

He drew.

He stared at Mephisto.

"You think you can win with Exodia, Mephisto," he said. "But I have a card in my hand that can all but defeat you right now… unless your dueling skills are as good as Remi claims they are…"

"Huh?" said Mephisto. "What do you mean?"

"It all depends," said Yugi, "on whether or not your next Monster's attack is strong enough to hit this Monster that I'm laying in Defense Mode… facedown."

He put the card down, and the facedown card appeared.

Mephisto looked at it.

"I think your bluffing!" he said.

Yugi gave him an icy stare.

"My turn is over," said Yugi.

It all depends on whether or not I can defeat that Monster's Defense? thought Mephisto. What the hell does he mean? What sort of Monster is that?

He looked at his hand. The four pieces of Exodia left room for only one more card, and it wasn't a Monster card.

He drew. Still not the Left Arm, and this wasn't a Monster either.

My Gemini Elf has an Attack power of 2,200, he thought. Not many Monsters have a Defense stronger than that… I can take it out…

"Gemini Elf," he said. "Dual-magic attack!"

The two elves shot forth their spell...

A shape appeared on Yugi's card… the Morphing Jar!

"What? NO!!" shouted Mephisto.

It was too late. The Morphing Jar cackled before it smashed.

Yugi chuckled. "I said it all depended on whether or not your next attack could HIT the Monster that I put in Defense," he said. "I never said that it mattered whether your attack was successful or not. And now that you've activated the flip effect of my Morphing Jar, we both must discard our entire hands and draw new ones!"

"Yes!" said Mary. "Go Yugi!"

"No fair!" said Mephisto. "You tricked me!"

"Now, now," said Yugi, discarding his hand. "You know the rules…"

Mephisto cursed under his breath and deposited his hand. He made one draw and cursed again… the next card he would have drawn would have been the Left Arm of the Forbidden One! He had been so close…

But when he made his other four draws, he smiled again… he could still win…

"My turn now," said Yugi. "Oh, look at this… I summon the Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the Dark Magician appeared. (2,500/2,100)

"Attack the Gemini Elf!" he said. "Dark magic attack!"

The Dark Magician fired, and vaporized the two elves. Mephisto's Life Points went down to 700.

"You think you have me beaten," said Mephisto, well you don't. I play Graceful Charity!"

He put the card down. Yugi gave him a strange look.

Why would he do that? he thought. He can't summon Exodia anymore…

"I draw three cards and discard two…" said Mephisto. "And now Yugi, the end is near! You see, as any great duelist will tell you, you should always have a Plan B!"

"Plan B?" said Yugi, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll have you know," said Mephisto, "that one of the cards I just discarded was the final piece of Exodia… and now that all of the Forbidden One is in my Graveyard, I can use this special Spell Card: Contract With Exodia!"

He placed the Spell Card down, and a loud rumbling was heard. The enormous shape of Exodia the Forbidden One appeared behind Mephisto, and beams of fire flew from his eyes, striking the space in front of him!

"By means of this card," said Mephisto, "I can summon, in Attack Mode, the mighty Exodia Necross!"

A shape appeared out of the flames… a smaller version of Exodia, with gray, wrinkled skin. (1,800/0)

"Exodia Necross?" said Peter.

"He… looks like Exodia," said Mary, "only uglier…"

"I have heard of this Monster," said Jade. "But I have never seen him…"

"Siegfried?" said Clive. "Do you know about this?"

"I think my uncle may have dueled someone who used this guy once," said Siegfried. "How did it work?"

"I'll tell you how Exodia Necross works!" said Mephisto. "First and foremost, _he's indestructible!_ No Monster can harm him… no Spell Card or Trap can kill him! And even better, on the start of each of my turns, his Attack power will rise by 500 points!

"Soon, he will be powerful enough to obliterate your Dark Magician, and anything else you could possibly throw at me! Victory will be mine!"

He laughed out loud.

"Yugi," said Mary. "Is it really that powerful?"

"Don't worry, Mary," said Yugi. "Don't give up yet."

He drew.

"I pass," he said. "I can't do anything on this turn…"

"Fine," said Mephisto. "Now watch…"

Exodia Necross's Attack power went up to 2,300.

"Not enough yet to defeat your Magician, so I'll pass as well!" he said.

Yugi drew.

Not the card I need, he thought, but this will give me some breathing room…

"I'm Equipping the Dark Magician with Magic Formula!" said Yugi, putting the Card down. A huge book appeared before the Dark Magician, and his Attack score rose to 3,000.

"Make your move," he said.

"I will," said Mephisto. "And you are getting closer to defeat…"

The Necross's Attack score went up to 2,800.

"I'll simply use my De-Spell card to wipe out your Magician's Magic Formula!" he said, putting a card down.

The large book vanished, and the Dark Magician's Attack went back down to 2,500.

"Now, Exodia Necross," said Mephisto, "obliterate!!"

Exodia Necross formed a ball of dark energy and shot it forth at the Dark Magician, blowing him into particles. Yugi's Life Points slipped to 750.

"Let's not give hope now, everyone," said Jade.

"Fine," said Mary. "Because I gave up hope a long time ago!!"

"What will you do now, Yugi?" said Mephisto. "In my next round, Exodia Necross will be 3,300 Attack points strong… there are few Monsters in the game that can stand up to that kind of firepower, and you have no way to stop him! Why not give up and make it easy on yourself!"

Yugi drew.

"You're wrong," said Yugi. "Like your mentor, it seems you failed to research a Monster principle in your strategy…"

"Huh?" said Mephisto.

"Exodia Necross may be immune to Traps, Spell Cards, and the attacks of Monsters," said Yugi, "but he has one major weakness…"

"Weakness?" said Mephisto. "He has no weakness!"

"Oh?" said Yugi. "He can only exist so long as the five pieces of Exodia are in your Graveyard."

"So what?" said Mephisto.

"I'll tell you so what," said Yugi. "Although no-one uses them as such, the Exodia cards are still considered Monster cards… Dark Spellcaster Monsters to be precise. Thus, it is easy to take one out of your Graveyard with one simple, incredibly common card…"

He showed him the card he had just drawn:

Monster Reborn.

"What?!" said Mephisto. "It can't be!"

"Can it?" said Mary.

"I use this card to summon in Attack Mode, the central piece, Exodia the Forbidden One!"

He lay the card down, and a spectral shape appeared in midair before him, a shape resembling Exodia's head and torso. (1,000/1,000)

And at the same time, Exodia Necross began to smoke, sizzle, and melt, vanishing into thick mist.

"NO!" said Mephisto. "No one defeats me!"

"First time for everything," said Yugi. "Because with your Life Points as they stand, this Monster is all I need! Exodia, _obliterate_!!"

The eyes of Exodia's head glowed, and flames shot from them, striking Mephisto in a direct attack. He was thrown backwards, and his Life Points fell to zero.

Before he could get up, the energy disk he was standing on vanished, and he fell, screaming as he plunged into the fiery pit below.

"Phew!!" said everyone.

"Now," said Clive, "how do we get down?"

As if to answer, a shower of dust fell from the Castle above, and the boiling lava started to calm. Within a few moments, it had vanished, and Yankee Stadium was Yankee Stadium again.

The black disk holding them in the air descended, and they were back on solid ground.

The huge screen came to life again, and Remi's face appeared.

"So," he said, "you are victorious."

"Yes," said Yugi. "Now keep your promise and let us in!"

Remi waved his Rod, and a small pine box appeared in front of them.

"There," he said. "It has a gemstone in it. Hold it to the sky and read the inscription written on it, and you'll be taken to my abode.

"But I warn you Yugi… this may not be the beginning… this is not the end… but this is certainly the beginning of the end…"

He vanished.

Yugi took the pine box and opened it. He picked up the sparkling, multicolored gem inside. On it was written the short rhyme:

_Shining rainbow, bridge of light,_

_Take me to the realm of night._

"Come close everybody," said Yugi.

He pointed the gemstone at the Castle.

"Shining rainbow, bridge of light," he said. "Take me to the realm of night."

With that, a sparkling rainbow appeared before them. Not knowing what else to do, they all stepped on it… and were whisked into the air!

Light as a feather, they landed on a balcony near the bottom levels of the Castle of Dark Illusions. A large door stood before them.


	23. Approaching Storm

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**Chapter Twenty-Two**

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**Approaching Storm**

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The team opened the door and walked down a long corridor, with Yugi still holding his dueling disk. The smell of food reached their nostrils, as they approached a large opening.

They entered a large dining room, where a grand feast had been set up. On a long table was a huge turkey, bowls full of mashed potatoes, stuffing, cooked vegetables, candied yams, cranberry sauce, bread and butter, and an ice bucket full of beverages, along with utensils and plates for six.

A screen was on the wall at the far end, and it quickly flickered on. Remi's face appeared.

"Hello, folks," he said. "Well, you're finally here, and I always say, what sort of a host doesn't provide dinner for his guests?"

"Puh-lease, Remi," said Mary. "You don't actually expect us to eat what you've given us, do you?"

"Come now Mary," said Remi. "Only a complete coward poisons his enemies, and furthermore, killing you that way would not benefit me in the least. Besides, I know you're hungry, and it's likely been ages since you've all had a civilized meal. Now come now… my chefs have been slaving over hot stoves for hours to prepare all this. I promise that you are in no danger where you are."

He gave them a look.

"Eat it if you want to," he said. "I'll be back in an hour."

His face vanished.

"Jade?" said Yugi.

Jade concentrated. After a minute she looked up.

"It is safe to eat," she said. "No poison."

"Wish you could teach me that trick," said Siegfried.

"It isn't a 'trick,' Siegfried," said Jade, "but I could teach it to you."

"How long would it take?"

"For you? A year or two."

"Well then," said Yugi, picking up a carving knife, "who wants a drumstick?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In another part of the Castle was a luxurious meeting room, furnished with comfortable couches, a large screen television (with combination VCR/DVD player), and shag rugs, decorated with precious artwork.

This was the meeting room of the Dark Four, the elite of Remi's Rare Hunters.

And at this moment, the four of them entered from four locations: Mantra came in first, followed by Des Fist, Lady Circe, and finally Void.

"Did you guys hear?" said Des Fist. "Yugi and his team are in the Castle!"

Void chuckled. "I guess then," he said. "it falls upon us to eliminate them… only in what way? There are so many splendid methods…"

"Why not let Lady Circe do it?" said Mantra. "I always love seeing her use her powers."

The beautiful female member tapped her fingers together. "Sure thing, Mantra," she said. "Now what to turn them into…"

"How about dogs?" said Des Fist. "I like dogs…"

"Why'd you want her to turn them into something you _like_, idiot?!" said Mantra.

"Cats then?"

"I have a better idea," said Void. "She turns them into something… that we can eat…"

Circe laughed out loud.

"Oh Void, you have an evil mind!" she said. "Splendid… tomorrow folks, dinner will be pork loin au Mouto and chicken soup ala Wheeler!"

"And even better," said Void, "we can tie up the others and force them to watch!"

"AHEM!!" said a voice above them.

Remi's face appeared on the television, frowning.

"Yes boss?" said Void.

"I know what you all are planning," he said. "And we are going to do this MY way. None of you will be allowed to kill our guests until you defeat them in a duel first… succeed, and you can deal with them any way you see fit."

"No problem," said Des Fist.

"However," said Remi. "Should you lose, I will take back the gifts I have given you, and leave you at their mercy… so don't screw up!!

"Now get to your locations, pronto!"

He vanished.

"You heard him!" said Des Fist.

In his throne room, Remi looked at the gemstone. The life forces of Tepes and Mephisto had raised the level to 12.08%, but he was far from done. It wouldn't matter soon. The Dark Four had never failed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour after they had reached the dining hall, Yugi and his friend were now ever alert, awaiting Remi to appear again.

And eventually, he did, on the screen once more.

"Well folks," he said. "I hope that was filling. Now onto business. You'll need these."

Five more duel disks appeared on the tables, one for each of them. All of them except Yugi went and picked them up.

"Now then," said Remi. "There are no deathtraps involved anymore. You may have heard about my Inner Circle of Rare Hunters, the Dark Four. When I became infused with Marik's dark power, I shared some of it with these folks, and now they serve me unquestionably. They are trained for one main purpose – to kill. And they can do so very well.

"But now they are not allowed to kill you until they defeat you in a duel, although I must tell you, they are the best I have.

"Above you is a series of levels; on each of them, a member of the Dark Four lurks. You must defeat them all to get to me. Fail, and you will die at the victor's hands.

"But Yugi, should any of them be defeated, I'll leave it up to you to punish them."

A slight smile crossed his lips.

"So, when you are certain you are ready, ascend the steps to Level One."

He vanished, and a secret door opened, leading to a staircase going up.

The Puzzle around Yugi's neck activated, and he transformed.

His friends slipped the dueling disks onto their arms.

"Let's go," he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They walked up a long flight of dark stairs, and eventually came to a door. They opened it, and a smell of incense reached them.

They saw before them a room with what seemed to be a dark Japanese temple before them. Burning censors adorned the place, and ominous statues of demonic creatures loomed in the corners.

Predominating the temple were five colorful symbols painted on the top.

"People," said Jade, looking at them. "Those symbols…"

"Yes?" said Mary.

"They represent the five mystical elements of nature… Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Metal."

"Be on your guard…" said Yugi.

Suddenly, a burst of red light erupted from the center of the temple. It was replaced by a green burst, then brown, then blue, and then finally silver. A man stepped out of it. He had long black hair and wore a purple kimono, as well as a golden amulet with the Roman numeral for four. He wore a dueling disk on his left hand.

"Greetings duelists," he said. "I am Mantra, master of the elemental forces, and the fourth member of the Dark Four."

"I remember you," said Jade.

"Well, if it isn't the warrior maiden," said Mantra. "Well, I'm so sorry if my elemental bolts stung a little when we went after you!"

He laughed. Jade drew her sword.

"Put it away Jade, or I will deep fry you like an _okonomiyaki_," he said. "And I am quite capable of doing it!"

Flames flew from his hand. Jade slowly lowered the sword.

"So," said Mantra, "which victim shall I chose? How about you, Peter? Are you up to the challenge?"

"Uh, I don't know…" said Peter.

"Too bad," said Mantra. "Get up here."

"Be careful, Peter," said Clive.

"Peter," said Yugi. "Concentrate. Remember all that I've taught you. Believe in yourself. Have faith in the Heart of the Cards."

"Humph, Heart of the Cards," said Mantra. "Your heart is nothing when you go up against the raw, primal power of the elements!"

He took out his deck. "So, when I defeat you, what sort of death would you prefer? Cremation? Electrocution? How about a good old-fashioned live burial?"

Peter starred at him.

"Why don't you just surprise me!" he said.

"As you wish," said Mantra. He plugged his deck into the dueling disk and Peter did the same.

Then Mantra chanted an incantation, and a swirling vortex of energy appeared above them.

"_Metal, Fire, Wind, Water, Earth,_

_Spawn my beasts and give them birth!_

_Use them as my means to rule,_

_Set the field, its time to duel!!"_

They both drew.

"You may go first," said Mantra, in a sinister voice.

"Fine," said Peter. "Breaker the Magical Warrior in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and a swordsman in a fancy red robe appeared with a sword and shield. (1,600/1,000)

"Now Breaker," said Peter, "power up!"

Breaker's sword glowed, and his Attack was raised to 1,900.

"Well then," said Mantra. "I'll lay one card facedown, and summon the Red Archery Girl in Attack Mode!"

He placed the cards down. A facedown card appeared before him, and the mermaid with her bow drawn appeared in her shell. (1,400/1,500).

"That concludes my move," he said.

"Sorry, Mantra, but I won't fall for that," said Peter. "And due to Breaker's effect, I don't have to. Breaker, expend your power!"

Breaker flicked his sword forward, and a blast of energy caused the facedown card to crumble. Breaker's Attack score went back down to 1,600.

"You destroyed my Spellbinding Circle," said Manta. "Clever."

"And your mermaid's next," said Peter. "Breaker, attack Red Archery Girl with breaking blade attack!"

The Red Archery Girl screamed as Breaker ran her through. Mantra's life points fell to 1,800.

"Well, don't celebrate yet," said Mantra. "Meet my winged Fiend, the Whiptail Crow, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a demonic bird appeared. (1,650/1,600)

"Whiptail Crow," he ordered. "Attack Breaker with terrible tail-whip attack!"

The Crow pounced, and lashed at Breaker with his tail, slashing him in half. Peter's Life Points went down to 1,950.

Peter drew.

"Hmm, this should be good," he said.

"Marie the Fallen One, in Attack Mode," he said.

He put down the card, and the female fiend in peasant clothing with tears in her eyes appeared. (1,700/1,200)

"That is one depressed demon," said Mantra.

"She used to be an angel," said Peter, "but after she was tricked by evil fiends – like you – into committing horrible crimes, she was thrown out of heaven… and as you can guess, she despises other Fiends for it. So she's about to go medieval on that Crow of yours! Marie, cursed claws attack!"

Marie flew forward and tore the Whiptail crow apart. Mantra's Life Points went down another fifty points, to 1,750.

Hmm, thought Mantra. I could take out that wench… but I know about Marie the Fallen One. If she's in his Graveyard, it will only help him out. Best defend for now…

"I call upon the forces of both Wind and Earth, and summon the Soul Tiger in Defense Mode!" he said.

A blue tiger, seemingly made of gaseous material, appeared before him, and assumed a sitting stance. (0/2,100).

"This guy will shield my Life Points nicely," said Mantra.

"Not for long," said Peter. "First, I play this Spell Card: Traitor in the Ranks!"

He put the card down, and a large dagger appeared in the air. It flew towards Mantra and plunged into his chest, knocking him to the ground.

"That card takes away 400 points of Direct Damage for every Monster you have on the field!" he said.

Mantra's Life Points fell to 1,350.

"And your Tiger won't shield you any more," he continued, "because I'm using my Polymerization card to fuse Marie with the Forgiving Maiden!"

He set the two cards down. The Forgiving Maiden appeared and hugged Marie. A bright light enveloped both of them, and a tall form stepped out from the light.

"Presenting," said Peter, "St. Joan!" (2,800/2,000)

"And now that Marie is in my Graveyard," said Peter, "my Life points will go up by 200 points on every one of my Standby Phases! St. Joan, destroy that Tiger with holy sword slash!"

St. Joan charged forward, and the Soul Tiger burst.

"Yes!" said Mary. "He's actually doing it."

"I dunno," said Clive.

"Huh?" said Mary.

"For a member of Remi's inner circle," said Clive, "this guy sure doesn't seem too formidable… I think he may have something nasty planned…"

Indeed, thought Mantra, getting up and drawing.

"I lay one card facedown," he said, "and I summon the Molten Zombie in Defense Mode."

He put the cards down; a card appeared in front of him, and a large, hulking creature made of lava appeared. (1,600/400)

"And that is my turn," he said.

Peter's Life Points went up to 2,150.

"That the best you can do?" said Peter. "St. Joan, attack!"

"Peter wait!" shouted Yugi.

St. Joan charged, and Mantra pressed a button on his duel disk. The facedown card lifted, and St. Joan was engulfed by fire. She screamed, and was incinerated.

"You just fell for my Flames of Perdition Trap!" said Mantra. Now not only have I destroyed one of your best Monsters, but I gain 500 Life Points!"

Peter's Life Points went down to 1,650, and Mantra's rose to 1,850.

Now Peter was starting to sweat.

"I'll finish by summoning Thunder Nyan Nyan in Attack Mode," he said.

"He lay the card down, and the horned woman with her drum set appeared.

Mantra drew.

"Ah, perfect," he said. "Behold the solid power of Metal! Metal Guardian in Defense Mode!"

He set the card down, and the iron Fiend materialized. (1,150/2,150)

Can't take out that Guardian, thought. Peter, but the Molten Zombie is another story.

His Life Points were raised to 1,850.

"Thunder Nyan Nyan," he said. "Attack the Molten Zombie! Drum solo of death attack!"

Nyan Nyan beat upon her drums, and when she clashed her cymbal, a lightning blot flashed, obliterating the Zombie.

"That will be all for my turn," he said.

"Lovely," said Mantra, drawing. "And now I will devastate your Life Points! First, I switch the Metal Guardian into Attack Mode!"

He turned the card, and the Guardian rose up to attack. Peter raised an eyebrow.

"And now," said Mantra, "the Spell Card Shield and Sword!"

Everyone gasped. Thunder clapped as Mantra put it down, and the Metal Guardian's stats became 2,150/1,150, while Thunder Nyan Nyan's became 800/1,900!

"Attack, my Guardian!" commanded Mantra. "Metal fists of fury!"

Nyan Nyan screamed as the Metal Guardian closed in. He socked her hard and she was obliterated, her drums falling into broken pieces. Peter's Life Points took a nosedive, to 500.

"I'll end my turn there," said Mantra, chuckling.

"You aren't the only one with powerful cards," said Peter.

His Life Points went up to 700, but he was still far behind.

"First, one card facedown," he said. He put it down, and the card appeared.

"Now, Shadowknight Archfiend, in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card, and the bony Fiend with a sword and a huge left claw appeared in a gust of wind.

"Attack the Guardian!" said Peter. "Knight's four-square fury attack!"

The Shadowknight raised his sword, and sliced the Metal Guardian in half.

"Unfortunately," said Peter, "My Shadowknight only does half the usual damage when he destroys a Monster."

Mantra's Life Points went down to 1,425.

"Now I'll use this Spell Card," said Peter. "Altar of the Archfiends!"

"Altar of the Archfiends?" said Mantra. "What's that?"

Peter put it down, and an infernal altar appeared before him.

"I simply have to sacrifice one Archfiend Monster," said Peter, "so I'll sacrifice my Shadowknight!"

The Shadowknight mounted the altar, and he vanished in a burst of flame.

"And now," said Peter, "half of his Attack score is added to my Life Points!"

Peter's Life Points shot up to 1,700.

"Your move," he said.

Mantra looked at him strangely. Peter had ended his turn with no Monsters at all on his side, and one facedown card.

This has "Trap" written all over it, he thought.

Mary was incredibly worried at this.

Good God, Peter, she said, I hope you know what you're doing!

Well, thought Mantra, I don't have anything that can finish him anyway, so I'll just play conservatively…

"Destroyer Golem in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down. The large, blocky golem appeared and formed a defensive stance. (1,500/1,000)

Peter drew. His Life Points went up to 1,900.

"Here comes the mightiest Archfiend of all!" said Peter. "Skull Archfiend of Lightning, in Attack Mode!"

And explosion lit up the temple, and a huge shape arose. He looked like the Summoned Skull, but lightning crackled around him like a live wire! (2,500/1,200).

"But," said Peter, "I don't think I'll attack just yet; your move."

Mantra looked puzzled. He drew.

He chuckled.

"I'm playing the Spell Card Soul Release!" he said, putting the card down. "And that lets me remove five cards from your Graveyard! So take out them all except the Forgiving Maiden!"

"No!" said Mary. "Now Peter can't benefit from Marie!"

Peter grimaced. He removed the cards and put them in his pocket.

"Now I'm laying this Monster facedown in Defense," said Mantra, "and ending my turn there," he said.

"Your going to regret that last move," said Peter. "Because with one Archfiend on the field, I can summon the Terrorking Archfiend!"

He put the card down, and the mighty Terrorking arose! (2,000/1,500).

"And I'll use my facedown card," said Peter, pressing a button on his disk. "Arming him with the Axe of Despair!"

The facedown card lifted, and the huge axe appeared in the Terrorking's hands. His Attack score went up to 3,000.

"Now, Terrorking," he said. Attack the Destroyer Golem! Charging checkmate attack!"

The Terrorking charged, and smashed the Golem into gravel.

"Now it's your turn, Skull," said Peter. "Attack that facedown Monster! Archfiend lightning attack!"

The Skull Archfiend of Lightning charged with a nimbus of electricity, and shot forth a thunderbolt…

And then the Monster appeared on the facedown card… it was a Morphing Jar!

"What?!" said Peter as it cackled and shattered. "How'd you get a card that rare?!"

"I am a Rare Hunter…" said Mantra, with an evil smile.

Nuts, thought Peter, discarding his hand. That was my fault. If I had attacked the Jar with my Terrorking its effect would have been ruined…

He drew a new hand. "I'll end my move there," he said.

"Oh, hold on, Peter," said Mary.

"For my move, I'll lay a card facedown," said Mantra. "And I'll put a Monster facedown in Defense."

He set the cards down, and they appeared.

"I won't make the same mistake twice," said Peter. "Terrorking, attack the facedown card!"

The Terrorking charged, but then the facedown card flipped around. The Terrorking bounced off the effect of Negate Attack!

"No more attacks for you this round," laughed Mantra. "So just end your turn."

Peter nodded.

"Now I have you," he said. "I first command my facedown Monster to show himself… Sanga of Thunder, arise!"

The monstrous figure of the storm deity rose out of the facedown card with a burst of thunder. (2,600/2,200).

"Now," said Mantra, "I will use Monster Reborn to bring back, in Attack Mode, one of the Monsters I just discarded! Come forth, Kazejin, Lord of Wind!"

He set down the card, and the green, bulky deity appeared in a gust of wind. (2,400/2,200).

"And now," said Mantra, "I summon in Attack Mode, the King of Water, the mighty Suijin!"

He set the card down, and a waterspout appeared. The enormous water elemental came forth.

"No!" said Yugi. "The Trinity!"

Mantra raised his arms, and a vortex appeared above his head. He chanted:

"_May the powers of lightning, wind, and sea,_

_Gather together and come to me!_

_Forces of Nature, form, come near;_

_Gate Guardian, now appear!!"_

The three elementals formed into colored globs of matter, and rose into the air. They crashed back to earth with an explosion. Out of the smoke stepped an enormous behemoth… Peter was now face to face with the mighty Gate Guardian!! (3,750/3,400).

"Oh, geeze," said Peter.

"Gate Guardian," said Mantra. "Annihilate the Skull Archfiend! Dark storm of fury attack!!"

Thunder rolled, and a burst of elemental energy hit the Skull Archfiend of Lightning, blowing him into gibbets! Peter's Life Points dove to 650.

Tears were starting to form in Mary's eyes. No, she thought. Not Peter…

Man, thought Peter. Now what?

He drew.

"I'll switch my Terrorking to Defense Mode," he said. "And then use Soul of the Pure!"

He turned the card, and his Terrorking knelt in defense. He put the healing card down, and his Life Points increased to 1,450.

"Heh, heh," said Mantra. "Fine by me. I play the Spell Card Stop Defense!"

Peter gasped as his Terrorking rose back into Attack Mode.

"Dark storm of fury attack!" shouted Mantra. The Gate Guardian let forth its assault, and the Terrorking was obliterated. Peter's Life Points went down to 700.

"Still think you can beat me little boy?" said Mantra. "You're no duelist… You're nothing but a photographer… and not a very good one at that. I read _Masters of Dueling_, myself and I've seen better shooting in the _National Enquirer_!!"

Peter looked at him. "Have _you_ ever written a bestseller, Mantra?" he said. "My mother carries that book around with her all the time… she always loves saying that THIS is what HER son has done…"

"You have great respect for your mother, huh?" said Mantra. "Too bad she isn't going to be here to kiss you goodbye!"

He laughed out loud.

Peter closed his eyes. Memories came back to him. His mother had made such a fuss when that book had made the bestseller list… she had thrown a party that had put his last birthday to shame…

Now he would never see her again… he was going to be killed by this maniac right here… Nothing he could do could stop this goliath of a Monster…

NO!! he thought. There must be a way!!

He drew. He looked at it.

"I play the Pot of Greed!" he said putting it down.

"Oh sure," said Mantra, "fill up your hand. Not like it matters…"

Peter took the two cards from his deck. He gave them a strange look.

"I place these two cards facedown," he said.

The two cards appeared before him.

"And I summon the Darkbishop Archfiend, in Defense Mode."

He lay the card down, and the fiendish bishop appeared before him. (300/1,400)

"And I'll end my move."

Mantra gave him a strange look. He chuckled.

"Sorry, Pete, but I wont fall for that," he said. "No way am I attacking when you have _two_ Trap cards on the Field."

He drew.

"But, I have cards in my deck that can destroy them, and it's only a matter of time before I draw them, so I'll just pass and wait for my next turn."

"There is no next turn for you," said Peter with a big grin. "You really should have attacked my Darkbishop, because he was a key to my strategy. But you didn't, and now you're gonna pay!"

"Huh?" said Mantra.

"First," said Peter, pushing a button, "I use one of my Traps, Archfiend's Roar!"

The card lifted and vanished.

"With this card, I must pay 500 Life Points, but I get to retrieve one Archfiend from my Graveyard for one turn, and I chose to bring back my Terrorking, in Attack Mode!"

His Life Points fell to 200, and the Terrorking appeared with a deafening roar! (2,000/1,500).

"What good will _that_ do you?" said Manta. "My Gate Guardian has nearly twice as many Attack Points!"

"It doesn't matter if your Guardian has a _million_ Attack Points now!" said Peter.

He pressed another button.

"Behold my other facedown card," he said. "Checkmate!"

"Checkmate?" said Mantra.

"To activate this card's power," said Peter, "I must sacrifice one Archfiend, so I sacrifice my Darkbishop…"

The Darkbishop vanished.

"…but it is worth it," he continued, "because it lets my Terrorking bypass your great Gate Guardian entirely, and hit you with a Direct Attack!"

"WHAT?!" said Mantra. "NO!!"

"Terrorking Archfiend," said Peter. "Finish him off! Ultimate charging checkmate attack!"

The Terrorking rushed forward, past the Gate Guardian, and slugged Mantra hard! He was thrown backwards, and his Life Points fell to zero!

All of Yugi's friends, cheered, other than Yugi, who was concentrating.

"No!" said Mantra, getting up. "You may have won, Peter, but you'll never live to boast about it!!"

He pointed his finger at Peter, as if to cast a terrible spell…

But nothing happened.

"My magic!" gasped Mantra. "It's gone!!"

Yugi's Puzzle started to blaze, and the Eye appeared on his forehead.

"Yes Mantra," he said. "Your master has abandoned you. And now for all the atrocities you have committed…

"_PENALTY GAME!! Elemental voyage!!"_

Mantra screamed, and clutched his head.

And then he slumped on the floor, his eyes vacantly staring into space.

"Gee, what did you do to him, Yugi?" said Mary, as they walked up to him.

"I've sent his mind on a little trip," said Yugi. "Through the elemental planes, to be precise. The journey will be long and arduous, as the elemental realms are deadly places, but if he finds his way back home, maybe he'll have learned his lesson."

A vision appeared on the walls of the temple. It was Remi. He clapped his hands.

"Well done Peter," he said. "You dueled like a pro."

"Yeah?" said Peter. "Well, who's next!"

"Oh, come now, folks," said Remi. "It's almost eleven-thirty! You're all exhausted, we're exhausted, and what sort of host would I be if I kept you up all night?"

A door opened to their left.

"You'll find some nice beds in there," he said. "You can face your next challenge in the morning…"

He vanished.

The six of them walked in, and found a room with six queen-size feather beds, that did indeed look inviting. But they were suspicious.

"He actually expects us to sleep in his lair?" said Clive. "He could send somebody in here to get us at any time…"

Jade slowly removed her armor.

"I do not think that killing us in our sleep would benefit him," she said. "Even so, I know of a solution…"

She set her armor down, and strapped her sword to her back.

"My sensei spent over a year training me on how to enter a type of meditative trance… while in it, I can get just as much rest as I would during normal sleep; yet, I can remain just as alert as I would when wide awake.

"Should an assassin sneak in while you are asleep and approach us…"

She fingered her sword.

"He will be the one getting a surprise."

"But what if Mantra's three friends come down to do it?" said Mary.

Jade paused.

"Remi said that they are not allowed to kill us unless they defeat us in a duel," she said. "He may be a liar, of course, but even so, they may be weakened with one of their number gone. We must rest either way. We cannot face them while fatigued."

They all agreed to that, and soon they were asleep; all except Jade, who quickly entered her relaxing-yet-alert trance, ready to spring should a threat appear.

And as the night wore on, others brooded in the levels above them.

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**ALTAR OF THE ARCHFIENDS (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image: **An infernal altar wreathed in flames.

**Card Description: **Offer one Archfiend Monster as a Tribute. Increase your Life Points by an amount equal to half the ATK of the Tributed Monster


	24. Unbreakable

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**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Unbreakable**

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Morning dawned on the City of Souls, and the Castle of Dark Illusions.

In the bedchamber where the six "guests" were staying, Jade remained in her meditative trance, ever ready to seize her blade and pounce should anyone come into the chamber. It had not been necessary. No one did, or was planning to.

Remi brooded in his throne room on the Castle's upper reaches. He was upset for a number of reasons. For one, he had never expected someone like Peter to have beaten Mantra. He had lost one of his most powerful henchmen due to the efforts of a teenage photographer… humiliating to say the least.

But that wasn't what _really_ made him upset. He had fully expected Yugi to slay Mantra if Peter had won. Instead he had given the Rare Hunter a much more ironic punishment. Certainly, Mantra deserved it for such a humiliating failure, but without his death, Remi could not feed his life force into the gemstone. The duel had gained him absolutely nothing. He could not change the rules now. He could only hope that the other members of his inner circle were more successful.

And right now, they intended to be. They had witnessed Mantra's defeat, and they were outraged. While it is hard to imagine such beings actually being friends, they were a close team that shared a great deal. Mantra's defeat was an insult to all of them.

In his own chambers, Void was trying to relax, but failed.

Manta… beaten, he pondered. If I didn't see it with my own eyes I'd refuse to believe it. Curse that Peter and his wretched Archfiends – if he makes it up here, I'll rend his mind to bits!

In her own suite, Lady Circe brooded.

Poor Mantra, she thought. You were always the one I most admired… I'll avenge you when those brats get to me!

Beware, all of you! she swore silently. Circe will deliver the kiss of death!

But none was more upset than Des Fist. He had spent the night in a practical rage, and little of the décor of his chamber had survived. He and Mantra were like brothers in arms, and they had always worked in tandem when facing a stubborn fighter. Their strategy was simple – Mantra would use his considerable firepower to chase the foe into Des's grasp, where the burly Rare Hunter could tear him apart.

Des Fist looked at a viewing screen where the bedchamber was, and he would gladly have gone down to finish them, but Remi had forbidden it. His orders were specific – he wasn't allowed to kill anyone until he was victorious over them in a duel.

I could take out Peter, he said. I never lose…

But I have a better, idea, a fate fare more cruel…

His eyes turned to Clive's bed.

Yes, he thought. What could be a more fitting punishment for destroying my closest friend, than for Peter to watch helplessly as _his_ closest friend is pounded into broken bones and bloody flesh?!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At about nine AM, Yugi and his friends roused themselves, and stepped back into the temple. Mantra's comatose form was still there, and also a table was set up, where bagels, muffins, spreads, orange juice, milk, and coffee were situated.

"Looks like our 'host' has left us breakfast," said Yugi.

"How nice of him," said Mary, sarcastically.

Nonetheless, Jade used her formidable _ki_ senses to check it for danger before they dared to eat it. As they went for the bagels, Remi's face appeared again where it had last night.

"Sleep well folks?" he said.

"Why don't you drop your pleasant facade, Remi," said Peter. "We've already put the kibosh on one of your precious Dark Four, and the other three are going to go down shortly…"

"You wish," said Remi. "Among the Inner Circle, Mantra was the least skilled, as befits the fact that he was the fourth member. You all are about to enter a whole world of hurt!

"If I were you, I would enjoy breakfast, because it's going to be your last meal!"

A secret elevator opened at the back of the temple.

"When you are finished here," he said "this will take you to Level Two. Next floor, shirts, socks, men's underwear, and inevitable defeat!"

He vanished.

"Well," said Clive, nervously, "you told him to 'drop the pleasant facade'."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They finished the meal, and strapped the dueling disks onto their arms. The Millennium Puzzle glowed, and the change overtook Yugi.

"Let's go," he said.

They entered the elevator, and it slammed shut. They started to go up, and after a short distance, they entered a misty room with dim lights.

They saw that the room was strewn with boulders and rocks. The walls and ceiling were colored blood red.

The elevator door slammed shut behind them.

"Okay," said Yugi. "Whoever is here, show yourself!"

"As you wish," said a burly voice.

A large shape stepped out of the mist. He was incredibly intimidating. More than six feet tall, he was as muscular as a pro-wrestler. He wore purple trousers and gloves, large black combat boots, and no shirt. He had long, Adonis-like blonde hair. Around his neck was an amulet depicting the Roman numeral for three.

"Hello Jade, Siegfried," he said. "Remember me?"

"You," said Jade. She turned to the others. "I remember this one well. He was called Des Fist, and my katana could not scratch him when the Dark Four came for me."

"It would not have mattered if you were armed with a bazooka!" said Des Fist.

He picked up a large stone on the floor.

"I am the warrior of the Dark Four," he said. "The power I have been given, not only gives me great strength…"

Suddenly, he bashed the stone against his face, and it smashed into powder!

"… but it also makes me unbreakable!"

"Nothing is truly unbreakable," said Yugi. "And your strength has nothing to do with your skill as a duelist."

"My skill as a duelist is unmatched," said Des. "And the Monsters in my deck are nearly as unbreakable as I…

"So then… Clive!"

"Me?" said Clive.

"I chose to challenge you, pal," said Des. "Let's see if your wimpy deck and amateur skills can withstand the sheer crushing might of my creatures!"

"Fine," said Clive. "I'm more than willing."

"Be careful Clive," said Peter. "You don't know what he's capable of…"

"I can take this meathead," said Clive. "He looks all brawn and no brain!"

Inside his head, Des Fist chuckled.

That's where you're wrong, Clive, he thought. You are far from the first person to think that my mind is as weak as my body is strong. In fact, I graduated with honors from the Harvard School of Law, for your information; but back then, I was a 110-pound, nerdy weakling whose brains couldn't get me the respect I wanted, even from other students. But when Remi offered to share with me a portion of the great Marik's power, I specifically asked for physical might. Now, whenever I walk into a room, people take notice, and I get the respect I deserve!

And I'm going to crush you just like I crush anyone who gets in my way… with my deck full of nearly unbreakable Monsters and strategic surprises!

They both shuffled their decks and plugged them into the dueling disks.

"I'm ready when you are, meathead," said Clive.

"Fine," said Des Fist.

They stared each other down. The scores set to 2,000.

"LET'S DUEL!!" they said.

They made their draws.

"Guess I'll go first," said Des, taking a card from his hand. "I'll throw out the Battle Footballer, in Defense Mode!"

He lay the card down, and an android football player appeared, forming a defensive stance. (1,000/2,100)

Clive looked at his cards after making his draw. Nothing good here, he said. I'd best defend too.

"Unknown Warrior of Fiend, in Defense Mode," he said. He put the card down, and a fiendish Warrior in green armor appeared on his side, raising his sword in defense. (1,000/500)

"Well," said Des, making a draw. "This is going to be a pretty boring duel if we just play Monsters in Defense all day, so…"

He put a card down.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in Attack Mode!"

Next to the Battle Footballer, a Warrior appeared. He looked almost exactly like the Celtic Guardian, but he had a smug smirk on his face. (1,400/1,200)

Everyone looked surprised.

"Attack!" said Des. "Silver blade slash!"

The Guardian charged forward, and cut the Unknown Warrior down.

"_Obnoxious_ Celtic Guardian?" said Mary. "What is that? Yugi, do you know anything about this guy?"

Yugi scratched his head.

"He… sounds familiar," he said. "But I can't exactly place it…"

Clive drew.

Yes! he thought. The Crescent Moon Queen! This gal won me the fight with Randy Raptor! Now I can take out both of his Monsters, and devastate his Life Points doing so!

"I summon the Crescent Moon Queen, in Attack Mode!" said Clive.

He put the card down, and in a burst of dark light, the dark-skinned, armored, caped monarch appeared, brandishing her two scimitars! (2,600/1,700)

"How do you like that?!" said Clive. "With her twin swords, this Warrior has two attacks, not just one!"

"Yes!" said Peter. "The Queen has 1,200 attack points more than that Guardian!"

"Oh dear!" said Des, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Crescent Moon Queen," said Clive, "attack the Battle Footballer! Crescent blade slash!"

The Queen uttered a war cry, and attacked. The android exploded.

"Now attack that Guardian!" said Clive.

The Queen closed in on the Guardian…

But then the unthinkable happened. The Guardian lifted his had and caught the Queen's blade before it hit him!

The Obnoxious Celtic Guardian let out a chuckle…

"WHAT?!" said Clive. "How could he have…"

The Guardian let out a kick, knocking the Queen away from him.

"Want to know the secret of the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian?" said Des. "In most cases, having a powerful Monster is a benefit, but against this guy, it's a liability! The Obnoxious Celtic Guardian is immune to attacks from Monsters with an attack power of _greater_ than 1,900!

"And don't think I don't know the limits of your Queen's powers," he continued. "If she makes two attacks, like she just did, she has to go into Defense Mode!"

It was true. The Crescent Moon Queen knelt in defense.

"I should have known," said Mary.

"That's all I can do now," said Clive.

"Perfect," said Des. "Now I'll just summon the Karate Man in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a fighter with an afro, headband, and fighting outfit appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"And I think I'll activate his effect now," said Des, pushing a button on his disk. The Karate Man's Attack doubled to 2,000.

"Attack the Crescent Moon Queen!" he said. "Karate chop attack!"

The Karate Man screamed and charged forward, leveling a punch at the Queen. She fell, and then vanished.

"NO!" said Mary. "She was Clive's best Monster!"

"And it gets worse," said Des. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack him directly!"

Clive screamed as the Guardian closed in on him. He smote at Clive with his sword, and Clive fell backwards. His Life Points fell all the way to 600.

"Clive!" said Peter. "Are you all right?!"

"Yeah," said Clive, picking himself up. "But another blow like that, and I've had it!"

"Of course," said Des, "now that I've used Karate Man's effect, I have to send him to the Graveyard… but soon I'll be sending YOU there!"

The Karate Man vanished.

Clive got up and drew.

"Here's a Warrior for you," he said. "Dark Scorpion Gorg the Strong, in Attack Mode!"

He lay the card down, and the huge, muscular, bald member of the Dark Scorpions appeared with his mace. (1,800/1,500)

"This guy is strong," said Clive. "But not too strong so that he can't take out your Guardian! Gorg, Scorpion crush attack!"

Gorg leapt forward and clobbered the Guardian with his club, blowing him apart. Des's Life Points fell to 1,600.

A beeping noise sounded on Des's disk.

"And since Gorg just damaged your Life Points," said Clive, "I get to activate his effect, and make you send the top card on your deck to the Graveyard!"

Des scowled. He took the card from the top of his deck.

"Aw, crud!" he said, putting it in the discard pile.

"I think he really wanted that card," said Peter.

"Now," said Clive, "Before I end my turn, I'm going to use this Spell Card… Exchange!"

He put it down.

"The card he got from Bonz's deck!" said Mary.

Des looked at his hand and scowled again.

"Come on, Des, you know the rules…" said Clive.

The two walked up to each other and showed each other their hands. "You first," said Clive.

No wonder, said Des. He doesn't have anything good… except potentially this one.

"I'll take this Reload card," he said, taking it.

Clive looked at Des's hand, and he saw something interesting… a card that had a picture of a human Warrior and a goblin Warrior shaking hands. It was called "Enemy Offering," and it was a Spell Card.

I've heard of that, he thought. It's supposed to be powerful… but what does it do.…?

"I'll take that one," said Clive. He took it and added it to his hand.

They backed up again.

"And finally," said Clive, "one card facedown." He set the card, and the facedown card appeared before him.

Des drew.

"Well," he said, "Now that I have your Reload, I might as well use it…"

He put it down. At that point, he took his deck, added his hand to it, reshuffled, and drew a new hand. He plugged the deck back into the slot.

He looked at his hand and laughed.

"This Monster will win the match for me!" he said. "But see for yourself… Launcher Spider, in Attack Mode!"

He slapped the card down, and the huge robotic spider with a rocket launcher on his back appeared. (2,200/2,500)

"Launcher Spider, shock rocket attack!" yelled Des. The Spider blasted its rockets, obliterating Gorg. Clive's Life Points were now at 200.

"And I'll lay one card facedown too," he said. The facedown card appeared before him.

He looked at Clive.

"What's the matter, Clifford," said Des. "Afraid? You're almost out of Life Points… Are you feeling nervous about the fact that you're just moments from death?"

Clive drew.

"Actually, no," said Clive. "I just remembered how what this Enemy Offering card does!"

He put it down.

"Aw, crud," said Des.

"What it does is," said Clive, "take the Power Level of your opponent's strongest Monster on the field – which is seven, that of your Launcher Spider – multiply it by 300, and add that total to your Life Points!"

Clive's Life Points shot up to 2,300.

"And incidentally," said Clive. "When we made the Exchange, you really should have taken THIS card, which I set after we made it. It's a powerful one…"

He pushed a button on his disk, and the facedown flipped.

"…the dreaded Trap card known as Shrink!"

"Shrink?!" said Des. "What the sam-hill…"

Suddenly, the Launcher Spider shrunk to half its size!

"MY SPIDER!!" said Des.

"Not only does it make an opposing Monster shrink," said Clive, "but it cuts its Attack and Defense power in half, making your Spider a lot less unbreakable!"

The Launcher Spider's stats went down to 1,100/1,250.

"Now," said Clive. "Dark Scorpion Cliff the Trap Remover in Attack Mode!"

The blonde-haired member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, with his dagger held high. (1,200/1,000)

"Squash that Spider!" said Clive. "Scorpion stab attack!"

Cliff leapt up, and buried his dagger in the Launcher Spider. It exploded, and Des Fist's Life Points fell down to 1,500.

"And since Cliff damaged your Life Points," said Clive. "He reveals and destroys your facedown card!"

The card lifted, and then shattered to pieces.

"Hmm," said Clive. "So it was Just Desserts. Nasty. Obviously you intended to use it to finish me off on your next turn. Too bad I gained so many Life Points… and you lost it!"

"Silence…" growled Des. He drew.

Ah, perfect, he said.

"I summon the Reflect Bounder, in Defense Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and a strange Machine appeared. It looked like a vaguely humanoid thing with an inversed cone instead of legs, flared arms, and a large mirror on the midsection. (1,700/1,000)

"I'll end my turn with that," said Des.

Now why did he place that in Defense? thought Clive. Its Attack is higher…

He drew and looked at his hand.

This can take out that thing…

He started to pull a card from his hand.

Wait, he thought. Something is funny about that Machine… a mirror? "Reflect Bounder"?

"What does that thing do?" said Mary to Yugi.

"I'm not sure," said Yugi. "But I think it has a very dangerous effect…"

Clive put the card back in his hand and chose another one.

"I think my move will consist of simply putting this card facedown," he said.

Des was angry. He drew.

"Fine!" he said. "Had you attacked the Bounder it would have attacked you back with a Direct Attack of equal force! But now I don't need that effect to destroy you… First I'll switch it to attack mode!"

He turned the card.

"Now I'm strengthening the Reflect Bounder with Limiter Removal!"

He placed a card down, and a large, numbered gauge appeared above the Reflect bounder, started to spin, spun out of control, and then broke. The Reflect Bounder's Attack score doubled, to 3,400!

"Oh no," said Peter.

"Reflect Bounder," said Des, "reflecting light attack!"

The mirror on the Bounder started to glow.

"Gotcha!" said Clive, pushing a button. His facedown card spun around.

"Negate Attack?!" screamed Des.

"That's right!" said Clive. The beam of light fired from the bounder, and was halted by an invisible field.

"And I know what happens to Machines that are enchanted with Limiter Removal at the end of the turn," said Clive. "They turn into piles of junk!"

Clive laughed. You should have seen the look on your face when you saw the Trap card! It was priceless."

Des snarled. "I'll play The Warrior Returning Alive!" he said. "It lets me bring back one Warrior Monster from my Graveyard to my hand…

He took a card from his discard pile.

"…and I'll summon him now. Maybe you'll remember him…"

The Obnoxious Celtic Guardian reappeared. (1,400/1,200)

"And I'll also use Red Medicine," he said, putting the healing card down. His Life Points went up to 2,000.

True to Clive's words, Reflect Bounder fell apart with a clatter.

"You think your Guardian scares me?" said Clive. "First, I'll summon Dark Scorpion Meanae the Thorn in Attack Mode."

He placed the card down, and the lovely female member of the gang appeared, brandishing her whip.

"Now I'll Equip Meanae with the Dark Scorpion Shiv!" he said, laying down a card.

He placed the card, and the long knife appeared in Meanae's hand. Her Attack Points rose to 1,700.

"Just low enough to take out your Guardian," he said. "Scorpion stab attack!"

Meanae pounced, and made short work of the Guardian. Des's Life Points fell to 1,700.

"Now, Cliff," said Clive. Cliff raised his dagger.

"Oh no," said Des.

"Attack him directly!" shouted Clive. "Scorpion stab attack!"

Cliff leapt up, and struck Des with his dagger! He fell over.

"Not so unbreakable now, huh?" said Clive. "Guess the rumble packs on these disks can break through even your super-strong skin!"

Des Fist's Life Points fell to 500.

"And now you have two Dark Scorpion effects to deal with," said Clive. "Cliff forces you to discard two cards from the top of your deck, and Meanae lets me draw another member of the team!"

He went to his deck and got what he wanted.

"Your move," he said.

"Wow!" said Peter. "This duel has turned around 180 degrees! Now Des is the one in trouble!"

Des got up and discarded the cards. I have not felt pain in ages, he thought. He will pay dearly!

He drew.

"Clive, you can give up your foolish perceptions of defeating me!" he said. "That Enemy Offering card was not the only one I had in my deck! And your Meanae the Thorn is Level Four!"

He placed the card down, and his Life Points went up to 1,700.

And now I play one card facedown, and a Monster facedown in Defense," he said.

The two cards materialized.

"End turn," he said.

"Fine," said Clive. "Now I can wrap this up with the card I got from Meanae's attack. Here comes Chick the Yellow, in Defense Mode!"

The young, yellow-haired member of the team appeared with his quarterstaff. (1,000/1,000)

"Now, Meanae, Attack that facedown Monster!"

Meanae charged with her dagger, and the Giant Soldier of Stone appeared where the card was.

"Uh oh…" said Clive.

"Uh oh is right," said Des. "I activate my Trap – Destruction Punch!"

The Giant Soldier stood up, and hit Meanae with his sword. She screamed and vanished.

"What?" said Clive. "He was in Defense Mode!"

"When you use Destruction Punch, a Monster is destroyed for attacking a Defensive Monster with too high a Defense!" said Des Fist. "So you lose 300 Life Points for the reckless attempt, and another 425 for losing Meanae!

Clive's Life Points fell to 1,575.

"Now, for the card that will spell your demise!" he said. "Mataza the Zapper in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the dark, green armored samurai appeared with his sword drawn. (1,300/800).

"Jade, isn't that the card you got from Bonz?" said Peter.

"Yes," said Jade. "And he can attack twice in one round…"

"That's right," said Des. "But his Attack isn't too great, so I'll Equip him with the Sword of Deep Seated!"

The dark sword appeared in Mataza's right hand, and his stats went up to 1,800 over 1,200.

"And now I'll strengthen him even more with a second Equip card – Butterfly Dagger – Elma!"

He put another card down, and a shining dagger appeared in Mataza's left hand. His attack went up to 2,100.

"Now, Mataza the Zapper," said Des. "Attack Cliff and Chick with zapping blade attack!"

Mataza charged forward with a blur, slashing Cliff and Meanae to pieces. Clive's Life Points fell all the way to 675.

Geeze, thought Clive. Now what?

He drew. He gave the card a strange look.

"I'm placing one Monster in Defense Mode," he said. "Facedown."

He placed the card, and the facedown card appeared on the floor before him.

"Well then," said Des. "All I have to do is destroy both of that Monsters, and then a Direct Attack from Mataza will finish you! Mataza, destroy that facedown Monster!"

Mataza charged, for the facedown card…

The Monster appeared. It looked like a Morphing Jar, but was far more fancy. It chuckled a low, throaty chuckle and Mataza and the Giant Soldier of Stone was sucked into it. It exploded.

"A Morphing Jar?" said Des.

"Not quite," said Clive. "That was Morphing Jar #2! Here's how it works, so listen good!

"First, you must take all Monsters on the field, i.e., Mataza and Giant Soldier of Stone, and return them to your deck and reshuffle; normally, I would have to do the same thing, but you wiped out all my Monsters!"

Grudgingly, Des stuck his card hand into a special holder. He removed his deck, and took the Monster cards off of his Monster Zone. He reshuffled.

"Now," said Clive. "You draw until you have two Monster Cards to replace the one you removed, and summon them facedown in Defense Mode. The other cards you draw, you discard."

Des drew three times. He looked at the third card and gave a slight smirk.

He continued to draw, and got another.

Well, he thought. This first may not be able to attack twice, but I doubt he can defeat it…

He discarded the first other cards. "Anything you say, Clive," he said. He set the cards, and the facedown Monsters appeared on the floor.

"Now, it's my turn," said Clive, drawing. "And I play the Pot of Greed!"

The smiling jar appeared on the field, as he made two more draws.

Don't know what that facedown Monsters are, he thought. Using Morphing Jar #2 is always risky; so I'll defend…

"Dark Blade, in Defense Mode," he said. He put the card down, and the dark armored Warrior with twin swords appeared on his side in a defensive stance. (1,800/1,500)

"And I'll also play Monster Reborn, to bring back Grog the Strong, in Defense Mode."

He set the card down, and Gorg reappeared in Defense Mode.

"Huh?" said Mary. "Why didn't he use it to bring back Crescent Moon Queen?"

"I think he has a plan…" said Yugi.

"Well, Clive," said Des. "I must say this has been fun, but using that Morphing Jar was a critical mistake… you see, one of these Monsters it made me draw was the mightiest one in my deck!

"I'm switching him to Attack mode right now… here comes Talos the Iron Titan!"

He turned the card, and a huge iron statue dressed as a Spartan leapt up. His eyes glowed with dark energy, as he glared at Clive! (2,600/2,000)

"Ghaah!" said Mary. "Look at the size of that thing!"

"Feeling scared now?" said Des.

Clive didn't say anything.

"Humph," said Des. "Remain defiant for as long as you can. This will soon be over! Talos, attack Gorg with iron fist smash attack!"

The giant slugged the Gorg the Strong with his fist, pounding him flat.

"Your move," laughed Des.

Clive drew.

"Indeed," he said. "And if you think that abomination is going to win you the match, you're wrong. Quantity is not quality."

"What do you mean?" said Des.

"You may have slain most of the Dark Scorpions," said Clive. "But one of them still remains, and he will avenge his fallen comrades… Don Zaloog, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the eyepatched leader of the Dark Scorpions appeared, brandishing his rapier and stiletto. (1,400/1,500)

"Attack Mode?" said Des. "You're a fool! You're Life Points will be all gone when my Titan attacks next round!"

"No, Des," said Clive. "Putting Don in Attack Mode is a key point in the strategy that will lead me to victory!"

"Huh?" said Des.

"You see, I also have this Spell Card," said Clive. "Dark Scorpion Pilfer!"

He put it down.

"With this card," he said. "Don Zaloog, being the master thief that he is, can steal any Magic or Trap card he desires from your Graveyard!

"So Don Zaloog, what's it gonna be this time?"

The Dark Scorpion gestured, and a large copy of The Warrior Returning Alive appeared in his hands.

"Perfect!" said Clive, giving a thumbs up. "You always have the best ideas Don!"

Don gave him a thumbs up back. A hologram of the card floated above Clive and added itself to his hand.

"Lovely contraptions these duel disks," he said. "And I think I'll use this card now! To return another Warrior from my Graveyard to my hand."

He placed it down, and retrieved a card from his Graveyard.

"Now, Dark Blade," he said. "Attack the facedown Monster!"

Dark Blade charged forth.

Hope this works… he thought.

Warrior Dai Grepher appeared, and Dark Blade cut him down.

Good, thought Clive.

"And finally, one card facedown."

Des Fist carefully considered his foe. The facedown card was likely a Trap card. He couldn't risk his strongest card…

He drew.

Yes! he thought. Dust Tornado! Next round I'll obliterate his Trap.

My move will consist solely of laying this card facedown," he said.

"So I suppose you're going to summon that Warrior you just recovered, huh?" he continued. "What good will another one of your pathetic Warriors do you? I'll just…"

"GO!!" said Clive.

And with that, the Crescent Moon Queen reappeared! (2,600/1,700)

She and Don Zaloog looked at each other. They nodded.

Des looked scared for a moment, but then he calmed down.

"What good will THAT do you?" he said. "Your Queen and my Titan have equal Attack points! You attack, and both of them will perish!"

He was well aware that Clive now had two Monsters on the field, and that if he were to lose the Titan, Don Zaloog could attack him directly… but Don's Attack score wasn't high enough to finish him, so he assumed he was safe for now.

"I know," said Clive.

"What?" said Des.

"But I can still defeat you," said Clive. "Reveal facedown card!"

The facedown card lifted up.

"It's a little thing called Negative Energy!" said Clive. I activate it, and it doubles the Attack Power of every Dark Monster on the field! Of course, that includes your Titan, but it also includes _both_ of my Warriors!"

He put the card down. The Attack scores of the Crescent Moon Queen, and Talos the Iron Titan both went up to 5,200, and that of Don Zaloog went up to 2,800!

Des Fist gasped.

"Crescent Moon Queen," said Clive. "Crescent blade slash!"

The Queen charged forward; Talos drew back his fist. A huge explosion hit when they collided, as both Warriors were destroyed.

"The Queen…" said Mary.

"Yes," said Yugi. "She sacrificed herself so her ally could win!"

"Now, Don Zaloog," said Clive. "Finish him off! Sting of the Scorpion attack!"

The leader of the Dark Scorpion Gang charged forward, and stabbed at Des Fist with his twin weapons! The Rare Hunter toppled, as his Life Points fell to zero!

"No…" said Des. "Impossible…

"NO!!" he shouted. He dropped his dueling disk and got up. "I will have my revenge!"

He charged at Clive. But then Clive greeted him with a punch to the jaw. The giant toppled.

"Not so unbreakable now, huh?" said Clive.

"My strength," said Des Fist. "Gone…"

Yugi's Puzzle glowed, and the eye appeared on his forehead.

"Yes, Des Fist," he said. "Your powers are gone, just as Mantra's were when he lost. And since you wanted to be unbreakable, I will grant you that desire in my own way… PENALTY GAME!!"

Des Fist screamed. His body froze in place, and his skin took on a shiny, somewhat reflective texture.

He was still, his face frozen in a scream.

Clive went up to him. He waved his hand in front of his face, and then touched him.

"Yugi, he's been…" he said.

"Crystallized," said Yugi. "Hard as diamond. He wanted to be truly unbreakable, so now he is; and immovable too.

"But he still has his mind. And after a while of dark solitude, alone with his thoughts, perhaps he will be able to contemplate the crimes he has committed… and maybe someday reach some form of personal salvation."

Clive took his Reload card from the discard pile in his opponent's disk. "Maybe now he regrets calling my deck 'wimpy'," he said. "Two down, two to go, and then we get to the big cheese himself…"

He tossed the Enemy Offering card back at Des Fist's feet. "Keep your card," he said. "It has your BO on it."

A door opened on the far side of the room, leading to a stairway up.

"Come," said Yugi. "The next one awaits."

As they started up the stairs, Yugi's eyes fell on a card that Des had dropped.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian… he thought. He looks so much like my own, yet more powerful… Such a pity that the image of one of my favorite cards ended up in the hands of a fiend…

He took out his deck.

Perhaps this Warrior would prefer working on the side of goodness rather than evil… he thought.

He placed it in his deck, and followed the others.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Lady Circe's chamber, she had been watching, and she was now infuriated.

"Well," she said. "They will not fare so well when I…"

"CIRCE!!" shouted Remi's voice, as he appeared on a screen above her. He was beside himself with anger.

"Yes?" she said.

"This has gone far enough," said Remi. "Two of your comrades have fallen because they underestimated their opponents, and you will be next should you do the same!

"They are on their way right now. Drop the ego, and know that this may be the most serous endeavor of your life! If you make even the slightest mistake, you will soon suffer the same fate as Mantra and Des Fist…"

He vanished.

Circe picked up her dueling disk and strapped it to her arm.

"Fine," she thought. "This is just the sort of extreme challenge that I've been waiting for… all my life…"

She turned to the door to await her visitors.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ENEMY OFFERING (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A human knight and a goblin warrior shaking hands.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up opposing Monster. Multiply its Level by 300, and increase your Life Points by the result

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TALOS THE IRON TITAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior

**Attribute:** Dark

**Level:** 7

**ATK:** 2,600

**DEF:** 2,000

**Flavor Text:** _This powerful warrior with skin of iron and blood of fire was believed to have been created by divine forces._


	25. Body and Soul

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Body and Soul**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Lady Circe was a woman who would have stood out in the largest crowds.

She was five-foot-eleven, with a nearly perfect figure. She had long, flowing, blonde hair (natural), which came down to her waist, and big, sea green eyes. Her face was flawless, and there was not the slightest blemish or mark on her soft skin. She wore a long, low-cut purple gown that seemed to reveal too much and not enough of her gorgeous body at the same time. She wore golden earrings, bangles, and anklets, and an amulet with the Roman numeral for two. Men would certainly have sold their souls for a chance with her.

It was truly a pity that one blessed with a body so lovely possessed a soul of such incredible evil. The ruthless Rare Hunter had led many men to their dooms after they fell for her feminine charms. And not all her victims suffered the fate of death. Some were now her prisoners, victims of foul magic.

Magic she was prepared to use again very soon.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his friends reached the end of the stairway, and entered a large room that was lined with cages. Each of the cages contained a small animal – dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, and a few birds.

Strangely, all the animals looked at them as they entered. The group could swear that sad looks were in all their faces, as if the creatures were looking upon condemned men.

"What's the matter old boy," said Clive, going up to the nearest cage, which held a German shepherd. The dog whimpered a little, but didn't say much. Clive tried to open the barred door, but it was locked tight.

"I like animals," said Mary, "but these look so sad. What's wrong with them?"

"Whoever owns this level must mistreat them," said Yugi.

"Not quite," said a sweet voice. "I treat them reasonably well. They're all sad because they all know of the horrible fate that awaits one of you in this room."

Lady Circe stepped out from her hiding place, and the six of them turned to confront her.

"Welcome," she said. "Lady Circe at your service, and if my pets are any indication, I am one of the most powerful of Remi's inner circle. I'd be very scared right now if I were you…"

"You talk tough," said Siegfried, "but…"

A large parrot squawked.

"Oh, shut up, Mike!" said Circe, turning to the parrot's cage.

"Mike?" said Yugi.

"This is my boyfriend," said Circe, looking the parrot in the eye. "That is, he _was_ before I caught him in bed with another woman."

The six friends looked aghast.

"Anyone want to take a guess which of the animals in this room _she_ is right now?"

"You can turn humans into beasts?" said Peter. "I find that hard to believe…"

"I'll give you a demonstration…" said Circe. "Hmmm… each of you pick a number between one and six, and don't insult me by all picking the same number!"

The six friends looked at each other.

"Suppose we refuse?" said Yugi.

"I'll chose for you…" said Circe, with an evil smile.

"Um, three, then," said Yugi.

"Two," said Mary.

"One," said Clive.

"Five," said Peter.

"Six," said Jade.

"Guess I'm stuck with four," said Siegfried.

Circe chuckled. "You lose, Mary," she said.

She waved her arm, and Mary vanished in a puff of smoke. Her friends looked down and to their horror, she had been replaced by a small cat!

"You fiend!" said Siegfried.

"Turn her back, Circe!" said Yugi, in a rage.

"Your wish, is my command," said Circe. She gestured again, and Mary reappeared, sitting on the floor. She was in a daze.

"Mary, are you all right?" said Yugi.

"I think so," said Mary. "But I have this strange craving for tuna fish and milk…"

"That was just a demonstration," said Circe. "But once I prove victorious in this duel, my spell will last forever." She grinned an evil smile. Again, all the animals in the room, obviously all previous victims of this wicked sorceress, gave the friends a forlorn look.

"You guys really didn't think a lovely woman like me could take you down, could you?" she said.

"Male or female," said Yugi, "beautiful or ugly, a twisted mind is capable of anything…"

"Sticks and stones, Yugi," said Circe. "Sticks and stones. Now let's see. Mary, since you were the one to taste my power, I will duel you!"

"Bring it on!" said Mary, raising her Dueling Disk.

"Mary," said Yugi, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She turned to him to see that the Spirit had merged with him.

"Be on your guard," she said. "This woman is likely more skilled than either Mantra or Des Fist. This could well be the most difficult duel of your life."

"You don't think I know that?" said Mary. "If I lose, try to defeat Remi, and then, whatever she turns me into, try to find me and get me out of here… even if you can't turn me back, I can at least be your pet after this is over…"

He hugged her.

How compassionate, thought Circe. And how naïve too. I have no intention of turning you into part of my collection, Mary. Imagine how much your friends will sink into despair after I've transformed you into a cockroach and squished you flat!

Mary turned to face Circe.

"You might be tough," she said, "but I've faced tougher!"

"Think again, little girl," said Circe. "You're forgetting that I have the power of Marik inside me, and I'm going to crush you just like Marik crushed your worthless father!"

Flames appeared in Mary's eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Circe, sarcastically. "Did I just hit a nerve? I really should be more considerate of other's feelings!"

"You're going to pay for that insult," said Mary.

She shuffled he deck, and then plugged it into the disk. Circe did the same with hers. The scores set to 2,000.

"LET'S DUEL!!"

"Prepare yourself," said Circe, for an onslaught of Beasts, Winged Beasts, and Beast-Warriors unlike you've ever encountered! You may move first.

Mary made her five draws.

"I'm throwing out the Flame Swordsman, in Attack Mode!" she said.

She placed the card, and her favorite Warrior appeared, holding his mighty blade. (1,800/1,600)

"Interesting," said Circe. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

She but the card down, and with a swiping sound, a cage of glowing swords surrounded Mary! She shrieked.

"I'm sure you know what this does. For three of your turns, your Swordsman and anything else you summon is paralyzed, unable to attack me while I prepare my strategy!"

"I know how it works," said Mary.

"Then," said Circe. "I will summon Ojama Green, in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and an odd creature appeared. It was a strange little green gremlin with one big eye and a long tongue. (0/1,000)

"Huh," said Mary. "Ojama Green? What does that do?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" said Circe. "Your move."

"Yugi, what does that little thing do?" said Peter.

"I'm not sure," said Yugi. "I've heard of Beasts called Ojama before, but… something about a cooperative effect…"

Mary drew. Can't attack, she thought, but I can summon…

"Axe Raider in Attack Mode," she said. She put the card down, and the axe-wielding fighter arose to join the Flame Swordsman. (1,700/1,150).

"Nice," said Circe. "My turn? Then I will summon Ojama Yellow, also in Defense Mode!"

She put another card down, and another small gremlin appeared. This one was similar to the first, but yellow, with two eyes on eyestalks. (0/1,000)

What could she be up to? thought Mary. Those little things have no Attack score and a weak Defense. They have to be hiding some secret… I won't risk summoning another Monster…

She drew.

Yes, my Mirror Force! Whatever she's about to throw at me, this will discourage her!

"My move will consist of laying this card facedown," said Mary, putting the card down.

"Good," said Circe. "Then now I will strike! I first summon the last of the Ojama Trio, Ojama Black, in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and a blockier, but still small gremlin appeared, this one a glossy black. (0/1,000)

"And now," said Circe, "with all three of them on the field, I can play this Spell Card, a little thing called Ojama Delta Hurricane!!"

She put the card down, and the hands of the three Ojama began to glow.

"What?" said Mary.

"Ojama Delta Hurricane!! unleashes the secret power of the Ojama, vaporizing all your Monsters on the field, and deactivating all your Magic and Trap cards!" shouted Circe.

"No!!" said Mary.

A huge blast shot forth from the Ojama Trio, and the Flame Swordsman and the Axe Raider were obliterated; Mary's Mirror Force deactivated. Her Life Points fell to 1,125.

"Fortunately for you," said Circe, the Ojama have no Attack score, so switching them to Attack and setting them on you would do nothing… I'll just end my turn there."

Mary sneered. "I'm summoning Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode," she said, "and end my turn there."

She lay the card, and the blocky iron Warrior appeared. (1,800/1,600)

The Swords around her faded.

"He's going to pound your Ojama to mush!" said Mary.

"Mary!" said Yugi. "Don't lose yourself in anger!"

"Listen to your boyfriend," said Circe. "And you're wrong, by the way. I'm going to use this special Spell Card – Forest Shrine!"

She produced a card bearing the image of a druidic temple.

"Huh?" said Mary.

"It's a Ritual card!" said Circe, putting it down. "And to invoke the power of this ceremony, I offer all three Ojama as a sacrifice!"

The Shrine appeared in front of her, and the Ojama vanished in a twinkling of light. The sound of a horse's hooves started to echo from the shine.

"What has she summoned?" said Peter.

"We will see in a moment," said Jade.

And then, a beautiful creature appeared, leaping from the Shrine. It was a splendid white unicorn with a white coat, a golden horn, and sapphire blue eyes. (2,100/2,000)

"Now," said Circe, "the Unicorn Princess will make short work of your Warrior! Horn lance attack!"

The Unicorn Princess charged, striking Gearfried with her horn and smashing him to bits. Mary's Life Points fell to 825.

"What do you think of my Unicorn Princess?" said Circe. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

"You don't deserve the services of a unicorn," said Mary. "In myth, a unicorn would only serve a woman of the purest heart and most innocent soul. Your heart and soul are rotten to the core. I doubt she even wants to fight on your side."

"Well, even if she doesn't," said Circe. "she can't help herself!"

"My turn now," scowled Mary.

She drew.

She gave the card a strange look.

"I'm laying a Monster facedown in Defense," she said. "And that ends my turn."

The card's sillhoette appeared on the floor.

"Now to finish you off!" said Circe. "Birdface, in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and a huge humanoid hawk in blue armor appeared. (1,600/1,600).

"And you should know," said Circe, "That the Unicorn Princess increases the Attack Power of all my Beasts, Winged Beasts, and Beast-Warriors by 300 points!"

Birdface's Attack Score went up to 1,900.

"Now," said Circe, "My Unicorn Princess will destroy whatever you have in Defense, and then Birdface will dive-bomb you into oblivion! Unicorn Princess, attack!!"

The Unicorn Princess charged, but before she reached the target, a strange object appeared on the sillhoette. It looked like a machine or computer of some sort, shaped like a jar.

Suddenly, both the Unicorn Princess and Birdface were sucked into the Jar, which exploded! Circe's Life Points fell to 1,075.

Mary chucked. "It was a Cyber Jar you just attacked," she said. "And it did more than destroy your Monsters. Let me explain how this works…"

She placed her hard hand into the special holder on her disk.

"First," said Mary, "We both take the top five cards from our decks and show them to each other…"

She took the five cards and Circe, dumbfounded, did the same. They walked up to each other and held them up.

"Ooh, nice cards," said Mary. "Now, from those five, we each have to summon all the level 4 or less Monsters and then add the other cards to our hands. And since it's still your turn, you have to do it first!"

"Fine," said Circe. "Harpie's Brother, in Attack Mode!" She put the card down, and the tall Winged Beast appeared. (1,800/600)

"Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, in Attack Mode!" she said. She placed a second card, and a fierce looking great cat appeared. (1,500/1,200).

"Wolf Axwielder in Attack Mode!" she finally said, putting down a third card. The humanoid wolf with his mighty axe appeared beside the two Monsters. (1,650/1,000).

"Your turn now," said Circe, adding the other two cards to her hand.

"Okay," said Mary. "Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!" she said. She put the card down, and the Flame Swordsman's student appeared, brandishing her saber. (1,600/1,500)

"Baby Dragon in Defense Mode!" she said. She put another card down, and the cute little dragon appeared and squeaked. (1,200/700).

"And finally," she said, "Double Pinaska, in Attack Mode!" She put down a third card, and a Spaniard holding two large machetes appeared. (1,500/1,500)

"And Pinaska will be happy to know," said Mary, as she added the other cards to her hand, "that because of the Flame Swordmistress's presence, he gains 300 Attack Points!"

Double Pinaska's Attack Score went up to 1,800.

"Man," said Clive. "Three on three! I hope Circe doesn't have a Just Desserts Trap! Does Mary have one?"

"No," said Yugi.

"It's still your turn by the way," said Mary, "although your Battle Phase has ended and you've already made your summon for this turn…"

"Then I end my turn," said Circe, starting to sound a little mad.

"Fine," said Mary. "Flame Swordmistress, attack Gazelle with blazing saber of battle!"

The Swordmistress's blade flamed up, and she brought it down on Gazelle, incinerating him. Circe's Life Points fell to 975.

"Now, Double Pinaska," she commanded, "attack the Wolf Axwielder with double slashing blade attack!"

The Warrior leapt up, and sliced the Beast-Warrior into three pieces. Circe's Life Points fell to 825.

"That ends my turn," said Mary. "And now the score is tied…"

My word, thought Circe. It has been years since anyone has ever managed to bring my Life Points below 1,000 in a duel… This Wheeler child interests me…

Maybe I won't turn her into a bug and stomp on her after all… I think I _will_ keep her once she falls. As clever and crafty as she is, I think she would make a very nice fox…

Yes, that is the ticket. And she won't win. I still have enough surprises in my deck to win this duel once and for all…

She drew.

"You haven't won yet, Mary," said Circe. "You still have no Monster out that can defeat Harpie's Brother. And now he's going to go into overdrive against your Swordmistress! Dive-bomb attack!"

Harpie's Brother took to the air and came down hard on the Flame Swordmistress, blowing her away. Mary's Life Points fell to 625.

Even worse, Double Pinaska's Attack Score now fell to his original level of 1,500, now that she was gone.

"Your move," grinned Circe.

Mary drew, and grinned even wider.

"I'm laying a Monster facedown in Defense," she said, laying the card down. The sillhoette appeared.

"And now it's your move."

Circe looked hard at the Baby Dragon looking at her.

That facedown Monster has to be the Time Wizard, she thought. Too scared to play it right away, Mary? Well, he who hesitates is lost…

"Sorry, Mary, but my Harpie's Brother will destroy your Time Wizard before he gets a chance to spin, but not before I give him this Equip… The Axe of Despair!"

She put the card down, and the demonic axe appeared in the Winged Beast's hands. Harpie's Brother's Attack Score went up to 2,800.

"Destroy that facedown Monster!" commanded Circe.

Harpie's Brother flew forward with his axe held high…

"Counter it Pinaska!" said Mary.

Double Pinaska raised his machetes and blocked the Axe before it could come down. Harpie's Brother struggled to get through.

"What?" said Circe. "How?"

"Once per duel," said Mary, "Double Pinaska can counter any attack thrown at him or an ally! Clever, huh?"

Double Pinaska gave Harpie's Brother a kick, and sent him flying backwards.

"I'll lay one card facedown," grumbled Circe.

"Splendid," said Mary. "And now that the coast is clear… show yourself Time Wizard!"

The Time Wizard sprang up, holding his staff.

"Hope this works," said Clive. "Or Mary's not going to be human much longer…"

"You know what to do, Time Wizard," said Mary.

The spinner on the staff started to spin… it spun at high speed.

Yugi's heart was in his mouth…

The spinner slowed…

And once again, it came through. It landed on the top crown!

"Looks like your time ran out," said Mary.

"_Time Magic!"_ shouted the Time Wizard. The time warp opened, and the centuries started to fly by. The Baby Dragon evolved into its adult Thousand Dragon form. (2,400/2,000)

At the same time, Harpie's Brother bent under age, and his feathers molted, his Attack score going down to 2,100.

"All right!" said Mary. "Now, Thousand Dragon, noxious nostrils gust!"

The Thousand Dragon blew its smokescreen, vaporizing the Harpie's Brother. Circe's Life Points fell to 525.

C'mon, you little brat, she thought. Attack me why don't you…

"Now, Double Pinaska," said Mary. "Finish off that witch!"

Pinaska charged.

"I'm a witch, am I?" she said, flipping her facedown card.

Double Pinaska halted. He was snared in the Spellbinding Circle! His Attack score fell to 800.

"You think you're so hot," said Circe. "But I didn't become a Rare Hunter by making dumb mistakes. Just end your turn!"

"Fine," said Mary.

Circe drew. "Ah, perfect," she said. "Take a look at this card, Mary!"

She revealed a Spell Card with a picture of a gas station pump on it.

"That doesn't look good," said Jade.

"The Fill-Up card!" said Siegfried. "One of the rarest Spell Cards in existence!"

"Exactly," said, Circe, motioning to her cages. "Take a gander at that white rabbit over there. She was the original owner of this card. I offered her a chance to surrender it peacefully; bet she regrets saying no to me now!"

"Barbarian," muttered Jade.

"Anyway," continued Circe. This powerful card restores my Life Points all the way up to its starting point!"

She put the card down, and her Life Points went all the way up to 2,000.

"Now then," said Circe. "I'll summon the Beaver Warrior in Attack Mode…"

She put the card down, and the armored rodent appeared with his sword held high. (1,200/1,500).

"Attack Double Pinaska!" shouted Circe. The Beaver Warrior impaled the Spaniard with his blade, and he fell. Mary's Life Points fell to 225.

"And now I'm playing the Spell Card Switcheroo," she said, "which lets me immediately shift my Beaver into Defense Mode, even though he was just summoned."

She inserted the card, and the Beaver Warrior knelt in Defense.

"You're almost out of Life Points, Mary," said Circe. "Ready to surrender yet? I have a cage all ready for you!"

Mary drew.

"Not on your life," she said. "Using that Fill-Up card was clever, but you never considered the consequences of using it…"

"It has no negative effects…" said Circe.

"True," said Mary, "but I have this!"

She held up a Spell Card.

"The Copycat card?!" said Circe.

"Yup," said Mary. "One of my dad's favorites. And I can use it to copy any Spell Card you have used, including your Super-Secret Rare Fill-Up!"

She placed the card down, and the change was made. Mary's own life points went up to 2,000.

"You may think you have won, Circe," she said, "but this match is far from over! Thousand Dragon, noxious nostrils gust!"

The Thousand Dragon breathed his smokescreen, and disintegrated the Beaver Warrior.

"Now, one card facedown," said Mary, "and I end my turn…"

Circe drew.

And then she laughed out loud.

"This Beast will win the whole match for me!" she exclaimed, starting to back up. "Observe the terror from Down Under…"

She put a card down and a huge shape appeared.

"THE BIG KOALA!!" she yelled.

The shape transformed into a enormous koala bear with blue fur. It was even bigger than the Thousand Dragon! (2,700/2,000)

"As they say in Australia, g'day!" said Circe. "And good bye! Big Koala, outback bash attack!"

The gargantuan beast slugged the Thousand Dragon, smashing it to pieces. Mary's Life Points fell to 1,700.

"So," said Circe. "You got anything that can stand up to my Koala?"

Mary drew.

The card I got at the convention, she thought. This could work…

"I will once I activate this Trap card," she said. "Curse of Aging!"

She flipped the card, and the Big Koala let out a cry. He started to age rapidly.

"This Trap ages Monsters," said Mary, "dropping their Attack Points by 500!"

The Big Koala's Attack dropped to 2,200.

"Now," said Mary, "I summon the Sword Hunter in Attack Mode!"

A Warrior in shining armor carrying two swords appeared. (2,450/1,700)

"Attack!" said Mary. "Shining blades slash!"

The Sword Hunter charged forward, cutting down the Big Koala. Circe's Life Points fell to 1,750.

"And even better," said Mary, "whenever this guy defeats a Monster, his Attack Score goes up by 200 points!"

The Sword Hunter's Attack went up to 2,650.

"All right!" said Peter. "Now Mary can't lose!"

"I hope," said Clive.

Circe drew.

A Trap Card, she thought.

"Okay," she said, "I'm laying one card facedown, and summoning the Skull Red Bird in Defense Mode.

She put the card down, and a huge red bird with knife-like feathers appeared. (1,550/1,200)

"You don't fool me," said Mary. "You're bluffing! Sword Hunter, attack!"

The Sword Hunter cut down the Skull Red Bird. His Attack score went up to 2,850.

"I knew that wasn't a Trap," said Mary.

"Actually, it was," said Circe, reaching for it. "Your friend Clive used this against Des Fist, so it's only fitting that I use it against you. The Trap card known as Shrink!"

She flipped it, and the Sword Hunter shrunk to half his size. His stats went to 1,425/850.

"Now, I summon Leogun," said Circe, "and he should handle your Hunter!"

She put the card down, and the fierce lion appeared. (1,750/1,550)

"Tear him apart!" ordered Circe. Leogun pounced on the Sword Hunter, and he was finished. Mary's life Points now stood at 1,375.

Mary drew and looked at her hand. I can't keep up forever, she thought. "I'm going to run out of cards soon!

"One card facedown," she said. "And I'll summon the Swamp Battleguard in Attack Mode."

The green, horned warrior appeared on the field. (1,800/1,500)

"Battle bash attack!!" shouted Mary. The Swamp Battleguard brought his club down on Leogun, crushing him. Circe's Life points fell to 1,700.

Circe drew. And then she laughed again.

"And now it ends," she said. "I play the Spell Card Raigeki!"

Everyone on Mary's side gasped. A bolt of lightning struck the Swamp Battleguard, and he was gone. Mary's Life Points stood at 925.

"Now Mary is defenseless!" said Clive.

"Defenseless," said Jade. "Except for one facedown card…"

"Now," said Circe, "as they say in bullfighting, the moment of truth… I summon the Enraged Battle Ox!"

She put a card down, and a huge Battle Ox, shrouded in flames, rose onto the field. (1,700/1,000)

"Now, a Direct Attack will finish you off for good!" said Circe. "ATTACK!"

The Enraged Battle Ox lifted his axe and charged…

Mary pushed a button on her disk, and the facedown card lifted.

A Hero Emerges. The Enraged Battle Ox froze.

"What?" said Circe startled.

"Now," said Mary. "Pick a card from my hand, and we'll see how lucky you are."

Mary tried hard to hide how scared she was. There were three cards in her hand; only one was a Monster card. If Circe chose either of the others, she would lose… and spend who knows how long as a caged animal, at the mercy of this madwoman.

Circe looked at the cards…

"The card on the left," she said.

Mary smiled.

"You lose, Circe," she said.

She took the card and slapped it down. The card in front of her turned into a portal, and the Red Eyes Black Dragon flew threw it! (2,400/2,000)

"Now, my Hero is in Attack Mode," said Mary, "and your Ox has no choice but to finish his attack!"

The Enraged Battle Ox resumed his charge, and the Red Eyes counterattacked, blowing him away with his fiery breath.

Thank you, Bonz, thought Mary.

As Circe's Life Points fell to 1,000, she cringed in fear.

"Who's defenseless now?" said Mary. "Finish your move."

Circe frantically searched her hand. "I… I… I lay one card facedown!" she said, putting a card facedown.

"Sorry Circe," said Mary. "That was the worst bluff I have _ever_ seen. Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack her Directly! Inferno fireball attack!!"

The Dragon inhaled, and blew its flame at Circe. She was knocked prone, and steam rose from her downed form. Her Life Points fell to zero.

The animals in the cages around them barked, mewed, and chirped in delight.

"No," said Circe. "No… How could I lose…"

"You're about to lose a lot more," said Yugi's voice.

Circe looked up in fear, as Yugi stepped forward, his Puzzle glowing and the eye appearing on his forehead.

"No…" said Circe.

"PENALTY GAME!!" said Yugi. "Body and Soul!!"

Circe screamed, and then she vanished, leaving her clothes behind.

Mary came up.

"What did you do to her?" asked Mary.

"Something similar to what she intended to do to you," said Yugi. "But I gave her a body to match her soul…"

He nudged the dress aside, and they saw what was left of Circe… a large black rat.

"Fitting," said Mary.

"You don't look so tough now," said Siegfried. "Let's squash her!"

"No," said Jade. "Let her remain like this. Let her spend her days feeding on garbage and fleeing from cats. It is a fitting punishment for all she has done."

The rat fled from them, fleeing to a dark corner of the chamber. She didn't reappear.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his friends spent a long time here. Try as he might with his Millennium Puzzle, neither Yugi nor the Spirit it housed could find a way to restore Circe's victims to human shape. Yugi concluded that Remi's magic held the key to doing so. They couldn't even release the poor creatures from their cages – they were locked tight, and no keyholes even existed on them. There must have been another way to open them, and no solution to that problem seemed to exist in this room.

In the end, Yugi promised them all that if there was a way to reverse the process, they'd find it and come back for them. That was all they could do.

Feeling guilty at leaving them behind, even though they had no choice, they climbed the newly revealed steps up to the next level.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his throne room, Remi was beside himself in fury.

Curse them, he thought. Curse them all!! This is getting beyond serious!

Mantra, Des Fist, Circe… defeated! Gone! Never before has anyone ever managed such feats!

I now realize the truth… Yugi and his disciples are incredibly formidable adversaries… they are among the best I have ever seen! Void is powerful, but they will likely find a way to defeat him as well.

We must pull out all the stops… we must go to extremes… no matter what the cost, victory must be won!!

He turned towards the huge black gem.

I will not let all I have worked for all these years be wasted…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FOREST SHRINE (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image: **An ancient forest temple.

**Card Description: **This card is used to Ritual Summon "Unicorn Princess." You must also offer Monsters whose total Level Stars equal 6 or more from the field or your hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TALOS THE IRON TITAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Ritual/Effect

**Attribute:** Light

**Level:** 6

**ATK:** 2,100

**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card "Forest Shrine." You must also offer Monsters whose total Level Stars equal 6 or more from the field or your hand. All Beasts, Winged Beasts, and Beast-Warriors you control except this one gain a 300 Attack Points, or 800 Attack Points if "Forest" is face-up on the field.


	26. Windmills of Your Mind

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Windmills of Your Mind**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Deep within his chamber, above that of Circe's, the member of the Dark Four who called himself Void was deep in meditation.

He was well aware of the fates that had befallen his three comrades, and he intended gruesome revenge on those responsible… as of now, his mind and his mental abilities needed to be at their peak…

Suddenly, the voice of his employer rose him.

"VOID!!" shouted Remi, from a screen above him. "Wake up!"

"Yes, my lord?" said Void.

"Yugi and his disciples are coming for you Void," said Remi. "They are not about to give up!"

"I can handle them…" said Void.

"Void, you fool!" said Remi. "Your comrades have fallen! You must pull out all the stops if you are to avoid a similar fate!"

"Do not worry," said Void. "My powers make me unmatched in a duel. I _cannot_ be defeated. The others were simply too unskilled to know how to use their abilities in any way to gain the advantage in Duel Monsters. I, however, will put all them to bear in such a way that will destroy Yugi, and then rend his mind to bits!"

"For your sake, you'd better," said Remi. He vanished.

"That's the whole thing," said Void. "The others were too unskilled to know how to cheat…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his friends climbed the stairway up, and entered a dark chamber. It seemed to have no features whatsoever. Just four walls and darkness.

"Be prepared, folks," said Yugi. "Another enemy is somewhere here, and he likely is even deadlier than Circe…"

Suddenly, a guitar started playing somewhere, and it sounded like Remi's singing:

_Like a circle in a spiral,  
Like a wheel within a wheel,  
Never ending or beginning,  
On an ever spinning reel.  
Like a snowball down a mountain,  
Or a carnival balloon,  
Like a carousel that's turning,  
Running rings around the moon,_

Like a clock whose hands are sweeping  
Past the minutes of its face,  
And the world is like an apple  
Whirling silently in space.  
Like the circles that you find  
In the Windmills of your Mind.

Like a tunnel that you follow  
To a tunnel of its own  
Down a hollow to a cavern  
Where the sun has never shone,  
Like a door that keeps revolving  
In a half forgotten dream,  
Or the ripples from a pebble  
Someone tosses in a stream.

Keys that jingle in your pocket,  
Words that jangle in your head.  
Why did summer go so quickly?  
Was it something that you said?  
Lovers walk along a shore  
And leave their footprints in the sand.  
Is the sound of distant drumming  
Just the fingers of your hand?

_  
Pictures hanging in a hallway  
And the fragment of this song,  
Half remembered names and faces  
But to whom do they belong?_

Like a circle in a spiral,  
Like a wheel within a wheel,  
Never ending or beginning,  
On an ever spinning reel.

As the images unwind  
Like the circles that you find  
In the Windmills of your Mind!

And then, a man stepped out of the darkness. He was dressed in a purple jumpsuit with a black starburst on the center, and wore sunglasses and an amulet with the Roman numeral for one. He had, long, platinum blonde hair. He wore a Dueling Disk on his left arm.

"Welcome, Yugi," he said. "Welcome to the end of your life! I am Void, and your disciples may have defeated my colleges, but you will find me a thousand times more deadly than them."

"You won't find me easy to defeat," said Yugi.

"Au contraire, young Yugi," said Void. "Your dueling skills are no match for my superior mental acumen. You cannot fathom the extent of my intellect."

"You're that smart, are you?" responded Yugi.

"Let me put it this way," said Void. "Ever hear of Newton? Einstein? Hawking?"

"Yes…"

"Morons," said Void. "Nothing compared to what you now face."

Yugi glared at him.

"Any final requests before we get this duel underway, young Yugi?" he said.

The Puzzle activated, and the mind of Yugi Muto Jr. and the mind of the Spirit merged.

"Let's do this," said Yugi inside his mind.

"I'm with you all the way," said the Spirit.

With the two of them merged, they looked at their foe.

Please, thought Yugi, taking out his deck. This guy looks like some reject from a poorly drawn, independently owned comic book!

Void slipped his own deck into the Disk. "By the way Yugi," he said. "If you're thinking right now that I look like some reject from a poorly drawn, independently owned comic book, you will soon find out otherwise!"

Yugi gasped.

Did he just read my mind?! he thought.

"Well, let's not beat around the bush, Yugi," said Void. "Anytime you're ready…"

"I'm always ready!" said Yugi, plugging his deck into the Disk.

"I'll even give you the honor of the first move," said Void.

The two of them made their five draws.

"In that case…" said Yugi.

"DUEL!!" they both said.

"I start by laying this card facedown," said Yugi, putting down a facedown card. "And I also play a Monster facedown in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and the glowing silhouette appeared on the floor.

"Interesting," said Void. "Wait…"

He held his forehead.

"I… see something," he said. "Something blue… with wings… I think it guards something…"

What the? thought Yugi.

"What is Void up to?" said Clive.

"When I fought the Dark Four," said Jade, "this individual was able to cause me great mental pain. Could his mental powers be even greater? Could he read minds? If that is the case, he could have a horribly unfair advantage!"

Void chuckled to himself.

You can't hide your cards from me, Yugi, he thought. Jade is so right. My powers of telepathy let me see every move you make the instant you make it. The cards you just put down are Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress, and Horn of the Unicorn. Obviously, you intend to try to surprise me next turn by equipping that Dragon with the Horn. Well, who am I to disappoint you?

"I play Maha Vailo in Attack Mode," he said, placing a card down.

A blue-garbed sorcerer with a strange pair of wings on his back appeared. (1,550/1,400).

"And I'll lay a card of my own facedown," he said, "ending my turn."

Yugi thought.

That facedown could be trouble, he thought. But if he draws an Equip for Maha, he could become too powerful. I have to take the chance…

"I switch Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress to Attack Mode!" he said, turning the card.

The blue, winged dragon appeared. (1,400/1,200)

"And I Equip him with Horn of the Unicorn!"

He flipped his facedown card, and the Horn appeared on the Dragon's forehead. His Attack went up to 2,100.

"Ready of not, here I come!" said Yugi. "Fireball attack!"

The Dragon let lose its flame…

"Sorry Yugi," said Void, "but I was ready! Spellbinding Circle!"

"No!" said Yugi.

The Winged Dragon was entrapped in the shimmering pentagram, and his Attack score went back down to 1,400.

"My turn now?" said Void, drawing. "I guess I'll Equip Maha Vailo with the Book of Secret Arts!"

A large book appeared in front of Maha, and he read it.

"That will bring his Attack Score up by 300," said Void, "and just by getting an Equip, Maha's Attack goes up another 500 points!"

Maha Vailo's Attack Score was now up to 2,350.

"Attack the Winged Dragon!" said Void. "Blazing light magic attack!"

Beams of light flashed from Maha Vailo's hands, and the Winged Dragon was destroyed. Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,050.

And since I know you have a De-Spell card in you hand… thought Void.

"I'll finish by switching Maha into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card. "Your move."

Yugi sneered, and drew.

"I play the Spell Card De-Spell!" he said, placing a card down.

Maha's Attack points returned to 1,550.

Knew you would, thought Void. And now you're going to summon Gaia the Fierce Knight, aren't you?

"And now I summon Gaia the Fierce Knight!" said Yugi.

He placed the card down, and Gaia appeared astride his steed.

"Attack!" said Yugi. "Double lance attack!" Gaia charged forward, and Maha Vailo was destroyed.

"Huh, parting is such sweet sorrow," said Void. He drew.

"I'll lay this card facedown," he said. "And summon the Archfiend Soldier in Attack Mode."

He placed the cards, and the Archfiend appeared, waving his sword. (1,900/1,500)

"Your move," said Void.

He can't believe I'm that stupid, thought Yugi.

He looked at Void. The smile slowly started to vanish from his face, and he drummed the fingers of his right hand.

He's bluffing, thought Yugi. I can see how nervous he is… but just in case…

He took a card from his hand – Mirror Force.

"I'll lay one card facedown," he said.

He placed the card, and it appeared.

"Now, Gaia, attack!" shouted Yugi.

Gaia charged.

"Gotcha!" said Void, pressing a button on his Disk.

The facedown card lifted.

Reinforcements!

The Archfiend Soldier's Attack shot up to 2,400! He brought his sword down, destroying Gaia, and reducing Yugi's Life Points to 950.

Yugi cringed.

"I'll put another Monster facedown in Defense," he said, putting a card down.

He placed his Beaver Warrior facedown in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,500)

"That all for your move?" said Void.

"Yeah," said Yugi.

The Archfiend's Attack Score went back down to 1,900.

"Well, I won't attack, seeing as I don't want to lose my Archfiend to your Mirror Force…"

"WHAT?!" said Yugi.

"So I'll simply lay one card of my own facedown," said Void. "And that will do it for me."

This is crazy! thought Yugi. Is he really reading my mind?

Void grinned at him.

Yugi picked a card from his hand.

"Curse of Dragon, in Attack Mode!" he said. The huge chitinous Dragon appeared in front of him. (2,000/1,500)

"Attack the Archfiend Soldier!" said Yugi. The Dragon breathed a gout of flame, and the Archfiend Soldier was burned up. Void's Life Points fell to 1,900.

"Good show!" said Void. "Good, but ineffective. I'm activating this Trap… Dragon Capture Jar!"

Yugi was startled as the card lifted. The sinister jar appeared on the field, and Curse of Dragon shifted into Defense Mode.

"That will keep your Dragon in Defense Mode unless you can destroy the Jar," said Void. "Now, Dust Tornado!"

He set a card down and a huge cyclone appeared on the field, smashing the Mirror Wall.

"And finally," said Void, "Mefist the Infernal General, in Attack Mode!"

He set the card down and a demonic knight on a fiendish horse appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"Oh, no, Mefist!" said Peter.

"Your friend knows a lot about Fiends, doesn't he, Yugi?" said Void. "He must know that Mefist has a Fairy's Meteor Crush built right into him. And I think I'll have him attack your Beaver Warrior!"

"What, how did you…?" started Yugi.

Mefist charged Yugi's facedown card. The Beaver Warrior appeared seconds before Mefist's sword cut him in half. Yugi's Life Points dropped to 650.

"Hasn't it sunk in yet, Yugi?" said Void. "You can't hide anything from me! By the power Remi has shared with me, my telepathic powers let me look into your mind and let me see every secret move you try to make. I know every strategy you think up before you attempt it! In fact, before this duel even started, I scanned your mind to learn the entire contents of your deck. There is nothing you can do that could surprise me in the slightest.

"Remember Remi's song you heard a while ago? Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning, on an ever-spinning reel; it doesn't matter what you hide, I can gaze on it inside! Oh, the things that I can find, in the Windmills Of Your Mind!

"Furthermore, I've prepared for this confrontation. MY deck is loaded with cards designed with the intent to defeat yours. You can't win!

"And by the way, the card you're thinking of using right now won't work either."

"This isn't fair!" said Mary.

"Life _isn't_ fair, little girl," said Void. "Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something."

Jade drew her sword. "I'll put a stop to this…" she said.

And then she screamed. She fell and clutched her head, dropping her sword.

"Did you forget the fight we so recently had?" said Void, now annoyed. "Try that again, try to even come near me, and I'll turn you into a mindless vegetable."

"Jade!" said Clive. "Are you all right?! Speak to me!"

Jade lifted herself up, and glared at Void. She spoke through what seemed like intense pain.

"_He who lives without honor, will die without honor,"_ she said.

Void paused. He chuckled.

"Quote all you like," he said. "But your friend will soon be finished. It's your turn, Yugi, not that I don't already know what you intend to do…"

Yugi drew. "I'll just lay one card facedown," he said. He did so.

"Yugi, don't insult me," said Void. "We both know that that's nothing but a Red Medicine card. Mefist, attack Curse of Dragon with fiendish forward charge!"

The Infernal General charged forward and lopped of the Dragon's head. Yugi's Life Points fell to 350.

"I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!" he said. "And I'll lay my own card facedown."

The facedown card appeared.

Man, I can barely defend myself, said Yugi, drawing.

"I'll use this Red Medicine card then," said Yugi, pressing a button on his Disk.

The healing spell took effect, and his life points went up to 850.

"And now I'll summon the Dark Magician in Attack Mode!" he said.

The Dark Magician appeared, with his staff held high.

"Dark magic attack!" said Yugi.

The Dark Magician fired!

"Sorry, no dice!" said Void. "I activate Waboku!"

The three blue robbed priests sprang up, and blocked the blast.

"I knew you were going to bring out that Dark Magician," said Void. "I saw you draw him two turns ago!"

"Make your move…" said Yugi.

"First, I'll lay the Equip card Dark Armor!" said Void.

Mefist became enclosed in black, shimmering armor covered with barbs His stats went to 2,300 over 2,200.

"And now I'll raise his Attack even further, by using Dark Energy!" cackled Void.

A hand appeared holding a black crystal ball. It threw the ball at Mefist, and his Attack Score went up to 2,600.

"Fiendish forward charge!" shouted Void. The Infernal General charged forward, and the Dark Magician was vanquished. Yugi's Life Points went down to 750.

"But wait, there's more!" said Void. "I'm going to fry you with my Hinotama card!"

He slapped the card down, and flames erupted around Yugi! He screamed, and fell to his knees.

"Yugi!!" shouted Mary.

"I'm all right," said Yugi, gasping. "But another blow like that, and it's over."

"Your move," said Void.

Yugi's score stood at 250, while Void's stood at 1,900.

Yugi got up and drew.

"I'll use the Pot of Greed!" he said.

The laughing jar appeared, and he made two draws. He looked at the cards.

"I see you drew Guardian Angel Joan," said Void.

Yugi gasped.

"I think Joan and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian make a lovely couple, don't you think?" said Void.

Yugi looked at the Fairy and Warrior he just drew.

What do I do? thought Yugi. This looks… hopeless!

"It sure does, doesn't it?" said Void.

Yugi glared at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said his opponent, sarcastically. "I really shouldn't butt in on people's private thoughts… it's so rude!"

Yugi was at the point of despair.

What do I do? he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Then a voice inside him spoke up.

"Yugi, listen to me!" it said.

"Spirit?" said Yugi.

Within a moment, Yugi was in the corridors of his mind, face-to-face with his spiritual partner. He was always nervous at times like this when he spoke to this strange being in this way. The Spirit seemed benign, and had helped him countless times, but how much did he truly know about this ancient entity?

"Yugi listen," he said. "At this rate, we're going to lose… and your friends will never be able to defeat Remi without you…"

"Tell me about it," said Yugi.

"But I think I have an idea," said the Spirit. "Did your father ever tell you about his duel with Maximillion Pegasus?"

"A few times, yeah."

"Pegasus possessed the Millennium Eye," said the Spirit. "It gave him powers similar to this Void character, which let him read his mind and predict his moves. We were almost at the brink of defeat… but then your father thought up a strategy to foil it."

"Well, I'm all ears," said Yugi.

"We called it the Mind Shuffle," said the Spirit. "Here's how it worked…

"To start, I began by taking full control of the body your father and I shared, while he sent his soul to the farthest corners of our chambers. Then, I placed a Trap card facedown, and before Pegasus could use his power, we quickly switched locations, with him taking full control, and me making the same retreat.

"Thus, when Pegasus tried to divine what the card was, he couldn't do it, simply because your father didn't know what the card was!

"We continued in this manner, laying our cards facedown and switching with each one, keeping them hidden, even from each other, and having faith that we had made the right decisions. In this manner, Pegasus became confused, and eventually, we were able to win the duel."

Yugi considered.

"It's a risky idea," said Yugi. "But right now it may be the only idea that might work. Okay I'm in. You go first. Just let me know when you need me at the forefront…"

Yugi concentrated, and his form vanished.

"Get ready, Void," said the Spirit. "We're going to take you down!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mere seconds had passed in the real world. Yugi (or rather, the Spirit in control of his body), added Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Guardian Angel Joan to his hand, and then selected a card.

"Well Yugi," said Void, "I'm waiting…"

"Fine," said the Spirit. "I first summon the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the smiling version of the Celtic Guardian appeared on his side, sword drawn.

"And now," he said. "One card facedown!"

He put the card down, and it appeared in front of him.

Okay, Yugi, he thought. Switch!

The Puzzle glowed, and Yugi took over.

"Guys," said Mary. "Did something just… happen to Yugi?"

"Yugi, Yugi, Yugi," said Void. "When will you learn? I know that that card is… that that card is…"

He paused. A strange look came over his face.

"You don't know what it is, do you?" said Yugi. "Maybe your all-powerful telepathic abilities are getting rusty, Void!"

"No they aren't!" said Void. "I know exactly what that card is!"

"Then what is it?" said Yugi. "That's the end of my move, by the way."

Void growled. He drew.

"I can't harm that elf with Mefist anyway, so I'll just pass," he said.

How could he have possibly resisted my mind probe? he thought. I should have been able to see what that card was as if it was face-up! What cards did he have in his hand before he made those two draws? Oh, I can't remember!

Yugi drew and looked at his hand. Have to trust the Spirit with this one, he said.

"I summon Guardian Angel Joan in Attack Mode!" he said.

He lay the card down, and a beautiful woman clothed in a silvery dress with angel wings appeared, hovering over the board. She sang in a musical voice. (2,800/2,000)

"And that will end my turn," said Yugi.

Void chuckled.

"Perfect," he said. "Like I told you, I was prepared for every card in your deck… and this one will finish you off! Fenris the Fierce, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a huge wolf shackled in broken chains appeared (1,800/1,300)

"This Beast can destroy any Fairy, regardless of power!" said Void. "Fenris, devour Joan! Ravenous bite attack!"

Fenris pounced.

Okay, Spirit, thought Yugi, pressing a button, this facedown card better be a good one…

Suddenly, the Kunai With Chain appeared in Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's hand! Fenris was snagged, and was yanked in.

"HA!" said Yugi. "Not only have I halted your wolf's attack, but now my Guardian's Attack goes up to 1,900. And might I add, he's immune to the ANY Monster's attack now!"

Void started to sweat.

"Any other move you'd like to make before I make mine?" said Yugi.

"I'll just play one card facedown…" growled Void, setting a card.

"Okay," said Yugi. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack Fenris! Silver blade slash!"

The Guardian brought his sword down on the wolf, slicing him apart. Void's Life Points fell to 1,800.

"Now Guardian Angel Joan," said Yugi. "Attack Mefist! Searing light of Heaven attack!"

A ball of blinding light appeared in Joan's hands, and she threw it at Mephist, blowing him away. Void's Life Points fell to 1,600.

"And I've done more than destroy your General," said Yugi. "Because Guardian Angel Joan destroyed him, his original Attack Points are added to my Life Points!"

Yugi's Life Points shot up to 2,050.

"Yes!" said Siegfried. "That's the card I gave him! I told him it would make him unstoppable!"

"Now," said Yugi, "I will lay a card facedown, and end my turn."

He lay the card down.

Okay Spirit, he thought. You take over!

The Puzzle glowed, and Yugi's body changed.

"Well, Void," said the Spirit. "Can you tell what this card is? Why don't you just read my mind and find out?"

"No problem," said Void, concentrating.

He paused.

"WHAT?!" he said. "Inconceivable… impossible!! My powers have never failed before!"

"They aren't failing," said the Spirit. "You see, you can't tell what this card is because I simply do not know what it is. I'm not Yugi Muto Jr. anymore. By the power of my Millennium Puzzle, two separate souls, each with its own personality and mind, inhabit this vessel.

"So now, whenever you try to read one of our minds, we'll simply Mind Shuffle!"

"M…Mind Shuffle?!" said Void.

"We can now easily hide, what we harbor deep inside; you will never truly find what we keep in the Windmills of Our Minds!" said the Spirit.

"Does, anyone know what Yugi is talking about?" said Peter.

"Yugi has… another soul inside him?" said Clive.

"That's creepy!" said Siegfried.

"Yes, but it makes sense," said Jade. "When we were in Anastasia's palace, he mentioned a spiritual guide that existed in his Puzzle… whoever this entity is, I believe we can trust him…"

Jade was starting to come to a realization… could this strange Spirit be the wise and kindly entity that comforted her when she was considering _seppuku_? It had to be… she was wearing Yugi's Puzzle when she met him! There was more to Yugi than she knew.

"_Keep you friends close Jade,"_ he had told her, _"and I will always be near you."_

"Well," said Mary, "if Yugi is okay with this guy, he's okay with me!"

Void was clearly flustered.

That facedown card could be trouble, he thought. But I must get rid of Joan!

He drew.

And this will do the trick.

"This will be costly," he said, pushing a button, "but I activate my Ultimate Offering Trap, paying 500 Life Points and letting me summon two Monsters at once."

His Life Points went down to 1,100.

"Now, I'll first summon the Worm Drake in Defense Mode," he said. He set the card down, and a huge, ugly worm appeared in a coiled position. (1,400/1,500).

"Then I'll summon the Invader of Darkness in Attack Mode!" he said.

He set another card down, and a huge, hulking, dark fiend appeared. (2,900/2,500)

"This should be enough to slay that Angel!" said Void. "Invader of Darkness, dark wave attack!"

The Invader threw up his hands and black magic crackled from them.

Hope Yugi's facedown will do the trick, thought the Spirit, pushing the button.

It flipped around, and the Invader of Darkness froze. He was caught in Yugi's Spellbinding Circle!

"NOOO!" shouted Void, as the Invader's stats sank to 2,200. "He was my best Monster!"

"Pity," said the Spirit. "Now if you don't mind…"

"Make your move," said Void.

"Guardian Angel Joan," shouted the Spirit, "searing light of Heaven attack!"

Joan cast her magic, and obliterated the Invader. Void's Life Points went down to 500, while Yugi's went up to 4,950.

"Now, my Celtic Guardian, destroy the Worm Drake!" commanded the Spirit.

The Guardian beheaded the Worm Drake, and green slime dripped from his sword.

"Void," said the Spirit. "You can't win. If you surrender now, I will be more merciful."

Void drew.

"Never…" he said, drawing.

"I play Raigeki!!" he said.

He slapped the card down, and an explosion lit up Yugi's side of the field, blowing away the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Guardian Angel Joan. Yugi's Life Points were reduced to 3,775.

"Now," said Void. "I'll summon the Robotic Knight in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the fancy, Machine soldier appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"Attack him directly!" shouted Void.

The Robotic Knight charged and smote the Spirit with his Sword. He fell backwards. Yugi's Life Points dropped to 2,175.

"Okay, Void," said the Spirit, struggling to his feet. "That did it. I will show you no mercy!"

He drew.

"This Monster facedown in Defense!" he said quickly. "And I'll see you later!"

The Puzzle shone. He made the switch, and Yugi took over.

A Monster facedown, thought Yugi. I just hope the Spirit made the right decision…

No, thought Void. I must know what that Monster is! Maybe if I look deeper than I ever have before…

He tried to pry the deepest he could into the mind of his opponent, but it was no use. He could not locate the mind who knew what the card was.

It's like searching through a maze! he thought. He started to sweat.

How tough could that defensive Monster be?!

"Robotic Knight, attack!" he yelled.

The Robotic Knight charged, but then the form appeared on the sillhoette of the card…

It was the Mystical Elf! (800/2,000)

"NO!!" yelled Void.

The Elf raised her hands and caught the Robotic Knight's blade. She gave a shove, and the Knight was sent flying backwards, falling on his rump. Void's Life Points fell to 100.

Void shivered. "I'll switch the Robotic Knight into Defense Mode…" he said.

The Robotic Knight knelt in Defense.

"From the look on your face, I take it you can't do anything else," said Yugi. "So it's my turn."

He drew.

The Puzzle glowed, and the Spirit merged with him again.

"I don't need to hide my thoughts from you anymore, Void," he said. "Because seeing what is coming won't save you.

"First, I will shift my Mystical Elf into Attack Mode…"

He turned the card, and the Elf's eyes opened. Void didn't like the look in her eyes…

"And now," said Yugi, "Monster Reborn!"

He placed the card down, and the Dark Magician reappeared!

"Now, Dark Magician, dark magic attack!"

The Dark Magician fired, blowing the Robotic Knight to scrap.

"And now," said Yugi, "finish him off, Mystical Elf! Mystical magic attack!"

The Mystical Elf raised her arms and they started to glow. A ball of light shot forth, striking Void and knocking him down. His Life Points fell to zero.

"I guess it's true what they say," said the Spirit to Yugi. "History does repeat itself."

Void was lying on the floor with his cards spilled and his hair disheveled. Yugi came up to him, his Puzzle blazing with fire.

"No…" begged Void.

"Let's see how smart you really are," said Yugi. "PENALTY GAME! Thousand Riddles!!"

Void screamed and clutched his head. He collapsed, with his eyes open. Unintelligible sounds and drool came out of his mouth.

"Thousand Riddles?" said Siegfried, coming up.

"I've given him a chance to prove just how smart he is," said Yugi. I've filled his mind with one thousand of the hardest riddles and logic problems. Right now, he is alone in the darkness, pondering the first one… he won't return to the waking world until he solves them all. When he does, _if_ he ever manages to do so, perhaps the experience will have humbled him a bit."

A door opened on the far side of the room.

"But for now," he said. "Let's go, we've taken care of all of the Dark Four, and now we have a date with their boss…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his throne room, Remi watched them ascend the stairs.

Oh, no, Yugi, he thought. You won't reach me yet. You have defeated the surface of my Inner Circle, but you have yet to penetrate the true Inner Sanctum.

His eyes fell on Jade.

"My chest still stings from where you struck me with your sword Jade, he thought. And when you reach the top of those stairs, my revenge will begin. You will encounter a whole new world of hurt…"


	27. Martial Artist versus Masochist

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**Chapter Twenty-Six**

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**Martial Artist versus Masochist**

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The team climbed the stairway, which seemed to be long and steep, not to mention dark. Mary walked close to Yugi, who had not parted company with his spiritual partner. A look of concern was on his face.

"You don't look happy, Yugi," said Mary.

"I'm not," said Yugi.

"But the Dark Four are gone," said Mary.

"Yes," said Yugi. "But possibly something a million times worse is waiting for us.

"Mary, do you remember what Remi said about the Dark Four? He said that when he obtained the power of Marik, he shared his powers with them. Presumably that is how they got their abilities.

"So?" said Mary.

"Think about it," said Yugi. "Mantra had the ability to control the elements of nature; Des Fist had super strength and invulnerability; Lady Circe could transform victims into animals; and Void had mental abilities that enabled him to read minds and cause victims mental pain… possibly even death.

"But from what my father told me, the original Marik possessed none of those powers. He simply could tap the Millennium Rod to brainwash people and control them. Remi can certainly do that, but how do you explain the Dark Four? If Marik possessed the powers that the Dark Four had, he'd certainly have used them. In fact, Void's powers were _completely_ beyond the scope of the Rod… that was the Millennium Eye's province. The idea that one Millennium Item could mimic the powers of another is absurd.

"Obviously, Remi's powers are more widespread, and the gifts he gave to the Dark Four clearly come from an alternate force."

"Set?" said Mary.

"Obviously," said Yugi. "Remi is closer to this dark god than we previously believed. He is somehow drawing divine, unholy power from Set, wherever he is. And we have no ideas what sort of gifts his evil patron has personally given him…"

"If that is true," chimed in Jade, "he could have fought back when I attacked him in the gym. Instead he fled like a coward."

"True," said Yugi. "But at that point, we were on street level. Now we are in his Castle, the infernal artifact that holds this city prisoner in the first place. His power here might be stronger…

"When we reach the top of these stairs people, we may be in for the fight of our lives…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Not entirely Yugi, thought Remi, as he was watching them.

You haven't reached me yet, and I still have a few surprises between you and me…

I fully expect you to confront me eventually, but hopefully I can show you what I am truly capable of before you get here…

And if I can still take out a couple of your friends before you do, it will make my job a whole lot easier…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The team finally reached a doorway at the top of the staircase.

"Okay, Remi," said Clive, throwing it open, "we're coming for you!"

They entered the room… and shivered in fear.

The chamber was dark, lit by violet torches, and the walls and floor were covered with black stone. The center was dominated by a large statue of a muscular man with the head of a demonic donkey, wearing a breechcloth and sandals. Attached to his hands and feet were a set of shackles and manacles, in just the right position to hold a man spread-eagle.

And worst of all, the floor beneath the statue was covered with dried blood.

"The evil is thick here," said Jade. "This is an unholy shrine… a place where great pain and agonizing death has occurred."

"That statue," said Yugi. "It is clearly an image of Set himself… and the chains… clearly meant to hold a victim intended for sacrifice!"

"You are partially right," said a voice that sounded like a man with bees in his throat. "But the chains are for another use as well…"

They turned and saw a man, about fifty years old, dressed in a leather jerkin, wool jacket, and a Dueling Disk. His hair was pure white and unkempt, and his skin was covered with scabs and scars. He looked at them with watery eyes.

"Are you even human?" asked Clive, with a disgusted look.

The man chuckled. "You aren't the first one to ask that, Clive," he said. "But I assure you I am as mortal as you are. They call me Skackle… high priest of the Lord of the Twelve Hours of Night."

"Better known as Set," said Yugi. "I didn't know he still had priests."

"Inferior worms like you aren't allowed to say his true name aloud," sneered Skackle. "And there are still a few of us left. And one of you is going to have to defeat me if you want to get to the Heir."

They all looked at him.

"I can guess what you're thinking," he said. "You think that an old man like me can't threaten you. I'll tell you now, my powers are great, and even if you managed to defeat me with fisticuffs, you'd starve in this chamber. Only Remi and I can open the doors."

"I thought the Dark Four were gone," said Yugi.

"The Dark Four, yes," said Skackle. "But they were only the visible members of the Heir's inner circle, the ones whom he used missions to the outside world. He has two special members, secret members with secret purposes, whose very existence are kept hidden from all but his most trusted henchmen. You might say that the Dark Four was actually a Six.

"I am the first of those secret members, the one who serves as a direct link between the Heir and the power he draws from the Lord of the Twelve Hours of the Night. And my power and dueling skills rivals any duelist you have seen yet – especially in this particular chamber."

"I guess we have no choice, guys," said Peter.

He looked them over.

"Jade, I have a question," said Skackle, with an evil smile. "I heard that the Samurai are capable of enduring incredible pain."

"What you hear is correct," said Jade. "We are incredibly durable. The most agonizing torture cannot sway us."

"Then prepare to discover what pain truly is," he said. "Remove the armor."

Jade paused.

"I can wait all day," said Skackle.

"Jade…" said Yugi.

"I'm not afraid of him," said Jade. "Cover me."

Yugi and his friends stood between Jade and Skackle as she undid the straps that held her armor in place, and put it in a pile on the floor. She took her _gi_ from her satchel and draped it over her, tying it in place with a sash.

She retrieved her Dueling Disk and slipped it back over her left arm.

"Splendid," said Skackle. "Now prepare to duel… on the Altar of Agony!"

Jade raised an eyebrow. Skackle waved his hand, and the floor rose slightly, revealing a pedestal, about a foot high and a hundred feet long and wide. They could all see that the surface was decorated by strange hieroglyphics.

"See this pedestal?" said Skackle. "Its divine power adds a special feature to any duel held in this chamber. Whenever a duelist's Monster is destroyed, by any means, the duelist suffers the same pain that his or her Monster feels. It doesn't even matter whether that Monster is in Attack or Defense Mode! A little trick that the original Marik once used, I believe, but in a different way…

"And there are two ways to win this duel," he continued. "There's the normal way, of course… but if the pain is too great for you and you faint, you lose…"

"And if I lose?" said Jade.

"Then your friends may leave, unless they try to be heroic… but _you_ I feed to the Lord of the Twelve Hours of Night… the hard way!"

He drew a dagger with his right hand and pointed towards the statue. He grinned with broken teeth.

Yugi cringed. He looked at the statue, with the chains and the caked blood below it.

Death by sacrifice… he thought. This is abominable!

"Fine," said Jade. "But you will find me difficult to defeat…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That may be true, Jade, thought Remi, who was watching, that may be true. But in this particular type of duel, you'll find Skackle even _harder_ to defeat.

You see, if there is one thing Skackle loves more than _inflicting_ pain on others, it is _receiving_ it himself. The life of a priest of Set is brutal, and he has learned to associate pain with pleasure.

See those scars all over him? Most of them were self-inflicted. You can try as hard as you can, but while the torture he inflicts upon you will only wear you down, that which you inflict upon him will be more of a benefit.

So, the question now is, who will prevail: the martial artist, or the masochist?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Oblivious to this fact, Jade shuffled her deck and plugged it into her Disk. Skackle produced his own deck and did the same.

"You think Jade can beat this wack-job?" said Clive to Yugi.

"Against any other opponent, I'd say it was a certainty," said Yugi. "But this Skackle character is strange at best. There's no telling what strange secrets his deck might hold. We'll just have to hope Jade is a tough as she claims…"

"Well, Jade," said Skackle, "I hope you are prepared…"

She just glared.

"I have no intention of becoming you evil deity's next meal, Skackle," said Jade. "You will not win."

"We'll see," he said.

"LET'S DUEL!!" they both said.

They both made their draws.

"Ladies first," said Skackle with an evil smile.

Well, best see what I'm up against, thought Jade.

"Usagi Warrior, in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put down the card, and the half-man/half-hare Beast-Warrior appeared. (1,500/1,000)

"Interesting," said Skackle. "But those two rabbit's feet won't bring you much luck! Blazing Inpachi, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a huge shape, which looked like a walking bonfire, ten feet tall, rose up in front of him! (1,850/0)

"Attack!" said Skackle. "Blazing branches attack!"

The Blazing Inpachi punched the Usagi Warrior, and he went up in flames. Jade's Life Points went down to 1,750.

At the same time, Jade started to wince. Smoke started to rise from her skin and clothes…

"No, Jade!" said Yugi.

"What's the matter?" said Skackle. "Can't take the heat?"

Jade smiled.

"You think you can bring me down with fire?" said Jade. "I'll have you know that every week since a month into my training, I have been toughening myself by bathing in boiling water!"

"Good lord!" said Yugi. He suddenly realized there was more to Jade than even he knew. It made sense though… he didn't for a minute think her training had been easy…

"Robo Ronin, in Attack Mode," said Jade. She put the card down, and the Machine Samurai appeared with his energy sword. (2,000/1,000)

"Energy blade slash!" shouted Jade. The android charged forward and swung, destroying the Inpachi in a burst of fire.

Waves of energy surrounded Skackle, but he just smiled.

"Heh, heh," her said. "You'll have to do better than that…"

He drew.

"Monster facedown in Defense," he said. "And that will be all. Wonder who it could be…"

The silhouette appeared on the floor in front of him.

He's trying to psyche me out, though Jade. He won't succeed…

"Attack!" she said.

The Machine charged, and as it did, the target Monster appeared – it looked like a golden porcupine with nasty quills.

"No!" said Mary. "The Thousand Needles!"

As the Robo Ronin brought its sword down, the porcupine burst, and the Machine as pierced by several of its spines. The Ronin fell and vanished.

Jade gasped. She looked at herself, and dozens of puncture wounds had been made in her skin. Her Life Points went down to 1,250.

"No Monster can attack Thousand Needles while it is in Defense Mode without suffering doom!" said Skackle. "Any other move you'd like to make?"'

"I'll end by summoning Frenzied Panda, in Defense Mode," said Jade, putting a card down.

She put down the card, and a huge panda with a bamboo spear appeared and assumed a defensive stance. (1,200/1,000)

"I already told you, " said Skackle. "Playing defensively may shield your Life Points, but it will not stop the effects of the Altar of Agony! You've weathered flames and needles, but can you withstand the pain of _bullets_?!"

Jade's friends gasped.

"Gatling Soldier, in Attack Mode!" he said. He put a card down, and a man-sized android with two gatling guns on his shoulders appeared in front of him.

"Attack the Frenzied Panda!" he shouted. "Gatling gun blast!"

The Soldier fired his guns, and the Panda fell dead. Jade was struck back, and horrid wounds erupted over her skin.

She stumbled, but she didn't fall.

"Guys, we have to help her!" said Clive.

"NO!" said Jade. "I can handle this villain…"

She drew.

Hope this works, she said.

"First, I'm playing Soul of the Pure," she said.

She put down the healing Spell Card, and her Life Points went up to 2,050.

Even better, all her wounds vanished.

"Just as I thought," said Jade. "Just as the loss of Life Points injures a duelist here, the gaining of them heals one. Who'd have thought that Set would be so generous?"

Skackle scowled. I was hoping she wouldn't find out about that, he thought. The Altar of Agony isn't even a creation of Set… it was made by priests of Bast, the cat-headed goddess of pleasure. She has no disposition towards goodness or evil, but during the days of the Shadow Games, some followers of her darker aspect created this thing to experience what they thought was a special form of pleasure. They considered healing a sign of weakness, but Bast insisted on that feature. They were later killed by other followers of Bast who hated them for perverting the teachings of the goddess, but the Altar couldn't be destroyed… I don't think the Dark One would object to me using it to destroy Jade…

And healing or no healing, it will be over next turn…

"Now," said Jade. "I lay one card facedown, and a Monster facedown in Defense."

She put the cards down, and a card appeared in front of her, and a silhouette on the ground.

"Good," said Skackle, "And now you will lose. Let me in on a little secret… when the Gatling Soldier makes a Direct Attack, he does double damage! Thus, once I destroy your facedown creature with _this_ Monster, it will be all over! Berserk Gorilla, in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card on his Disk, and the ferocious Gorilla appeared, with steam flaring from its jaws! (2,000/1,000).

"Attack that facedown Monster!" said Skackle. "Berserk breath attack!"

Mary grabbed hold of Yugi… the Gorilla blasted forth its breath weapon…

Jade casually pressed a button on her Disk, and the facedown card she had placed spun around. The Spellbinding Circle appeared, blocked the attack, and entrapped the Berserk Gorilla! His Attack points fell to 1,300.

"A Trap!" said Skackle.

"One does not win Duel Monsters by brute force alone," said Jade. "Anything else you'd like to do?"

Skackle looked long and hard at the facedown Monster.

"I… don't think I'll attack with my Gatling Soldier," he said. "I'll switch him into Defense Mode!"

He turned the card, and the Soldier lowered his guns.

Jade drew. "Too bad," said Jade. "You should have attacked. "This Monster was a key point in my strategy. I switch Mataza the Zapper to Attack Mode!"

She turned the card, and the green armored, bandana-wearing Samurai appeared. (1,300/800)

"And I equip him with the Horn of the Unicorn!" said Jade.

She put down the Equip, and the long horn appeared on Mataza's forehead. His Attack went up to 2,000.

"Attack the Berserk Gorilla and the Gatling Soldier with zapping blade attack!" shouted Jade.

Mataza drew his sword and zoomed forward, cutting down both Monsters in fiery explosions. Skackle's Life Points fell to 1,150.

At that point, two gashes appeared on Skackle, on his chest and leg. But he only grinned.

"This is too weird," said Peter. "Skackle actually seems to be _enjoying_ himself up there!"

"What is he, some sort of masochist?" said Clive.

"I believe," said Siegfried, "that that is exactly the case…"

"More like a sadio-masochist," said Yugi. "And with the conditions of this duel, that makes it even more deadly for Jade…"

Jade was starting to come to that realization too. And even in her heart, which was usually brave beyond compare, fear was beginning to grow. But she would not give Skackle the satisfaction of knowing that…

"So, what sort of Monster will it be now," said Jade. "A Fiend? A Zombie? A giant snake?"

"Actually," said Skackle, drawing, "I was thinking more along the lines of a Fairy…"

He put a card down.

"Hecate, Queen of the Night, in Attack Mode!" he said.

A dark shape arose on the grid. It looked like a tall, beautiful, dark woman with dark green skin, a black robe, and huge black-feathered wings. She opened her eyes, and a cold, white glow was cast from them. (2,100/1,000)

"Nasty," said Peter.

"What do you think of my Dark Fairy?" said Skackle. "And I'm adding this special Equip – the Cestus of Dagla!"

A large, golden throwing blade appeared in the air, and Hecate took it. Her Attack power rose to 2,600.

"Not only does the Cestus raise a Fairy's attack by 500 points," said Skackle, "But now, whatever Life Points she takes away from you, I will gain! Hecate, flying cestus of death attack!"

Hecate threw the blade, and Mataza burst in an explosion of light. Jade staggered back a little, but it didn't hurt as much as she expected. Her Life Points fell to 1,450.

The Cestus of Dagla flew back to Hecate's hand and she caught it. Skackle's Life points rose to 1,750.

"Your move," he said.

Jade drew.

Ah, perfect, she thought.

"I summon the Shugenja Sorceress, in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and an odd Spellcaster appeared. She was wearing a white _gi_ with a straw hat; several scroll tubes appeared on her belt, and she had bare feet. (1,900/800)

"Jade sure has some odd Monsters," said Mary.

"The Shugenja were priests and priestesses who provided divine guidance for the Samurai," said Yugi. "But that Monster's effect had better be powerful… her attack is 700 points less than Hecate's…"

"And now, and Equip card," said Jade. "The Sacred Bow!"

She put the card down, and a golden bow and arrow appeared in the Shugenja Sorceress's hands. Her Attack went up to 2,300.

"Big deal," said Skackle. "My Fairy is still stronger…"

"Is she?" said Jade. "The Sacred Bow not only increases the Attack score of any Light Monster by 400 points, but it grants her a 500 point bonus against any Dark Monster!"

"What?" said Skackle. "No…"

"Shugenja Sorceress," said Jade, "attack with sacred arrow attack!"

The Sorceress pulled back the bowstring and fired, hitting Hecate dead center. She screamed, and fell with an arrow in her breast, before she vanished.

Skackle's life Points were down to 1,550, but more was wrong with him. He was holding his chest, where a bright glow was emitting from it. "Ugh," he muttered. "It burns…"

So, thought Jade. I've actually managed to hurt him… and I think I know why…

Clearly this Altar is not the evil thing he had me presume it to be… it plays no favorites. And clearly, the pain it delivers to the duelist is the same type of pain that the Monster feels. I just struck down his Dark Fairy with a holy weapon, and now even this duelist who enjoys agony so much isn't liking it. Likewise, when my Monster was destroyed with a Fairy weapon, it didn't hurt much at all.

Possibly, using holy and sanctified weapons is the key to defeating him… as a servant of an unholy abomination like Set, such things are likely deadly poison to him…

And when you pack your deck full of Light Monsters and noble creatures like I have, that might just be possible…

"My move now," said Skackle, drawing. "And I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He put the card down, and a dark wind erupted over the field, blowing the Sacred Bow from the Sorceress's hands. Her Attack went back down to 1,900.

"And now," said Skackle, "Giant Orc, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the huge Orc with a bone club appeared with a roar. (2,200/0)

"Bone club bash attack!" shouted Skackle. The giant slugged the Sorceress with his club, and she fell. Jade's Life Points fell to 1,150, and the Giant Orc switched to Defense Mode.

Jade felt her face… she had a black eye coming. She drew.

But I can still test my theory, she thought.

"Nin-Ken Dog, in Attack Mode!" she said.

A gust of wind appeared in front of her, and a dog-like beast-warrior in a red kimono appeared, holding a shining katana. (1,800/1,000).

"Attack!" said Jade. "Spiritual blade attack!"

Skackle gasped as the Beast-Warrior closed in on the Giant Orc. As the Orc was cut down, Skackle screamed, as a glowing gash appeared across his chest.

"I suspected as much," said Jade. "You only duel here Skackle, because normal pain is meaningless to you. You enjoy taking it as much as you enjoy giving it out. But every creature has a weakness…

"You have given your soul to forces of ultimate evil, and thus the bite of the sacred weapons of my holy warriors strike you with pain that even you cannot endure. You were foolish to challenge me…"

"We'll see about that," said Skackle.

"Yes we will," said Jade. "You have five turns remaining in this duel, Skackle. After that, I will teach you a lesson you will never forget, one that will show you what pain truly is!"

Skackle looked at her. "You're bluffing!" he said.

"Your five turns start now," said Jade, "as I end mine."

Skackle drew. He chuckled.

"Well, this is a good one!" he said. "Judge Man, in Attack Mode!"

The armored, caped Warrior appeared, with his huge hammer. (2,200/1,500)

"Gavel bash attack!" shouted Skackle. The Judge Man clobbered the Nin-Ken Dog, and he fell to the ground lifeless.

Jade's Life Points fell to 750.

"Still think you can beat me in five turns?" said Skackle.

Jade held her head, which was bleeding from the forehead.

"Yes," she said. "And now you have four left."

She drew.

"Jade is really taking a beating," said Mary. "I hope she knows what she's doing…"

"I think she does," said Yugi. "If she gets the right card, Skackle won't have a chance…"

"I lay a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," said Jade. "And that will end my turn."

"Your so-called strategy is a joke," said Skackle. "I think I'll just have some fun and destroy _all_ your Monsters with my Judge Man! Attack!"

The Judge Man charged…

And then the Witch of the Black Forest appeared! She didn't flinch as the Warrior struck her down.

"You had a Witch of the Black Forest?!" said Skackle.

"Jade had a Witch of the Black Forest?!" said Clive, even more surprised.

"Well, it is a useful card," said Mary.

"Indeed," said Jade. Bruises were starting to appear all over her, but she was still standing. She put her hand aside, and took her deck. She looked through it, and found the card she wanted.

"I used the Witch's effect to find a certain Monster," she said, "but rather than play it now, I will just save it for later. Are you done with your turn?"

"Yeah," said Skackle.

"Then you now have three turns left," said Jade. She drew.

What could that card be? thought Skackle. There aren't many Monsters with a Defense of 1,500 or less that can stand up to Judge Man… Summoned Skull could, but that isn't Jade's style…

"Zanki, in Defense Mode," said Jade.

She put a card down, and the red armored Warrior appeared and knelt in Defense. (1,500/1,700)

"Humph," said Skackle. "Judge Man, trash that tin can! Gavel bash attack!"

The Judge Man swung, and smashed Zanki to bits. Jade clutched her ribs. She was sure by now that they were cracked.

"Feeling it yet, Jade?" said Skackle. "I'm willing to stop this any time you want to surrender…"

"I'll fight you until I drop," said Jade.

"Fine, your move then," said Skackle. "My god doesn't care if a sacrifice is beaten to pulp…"

"Wrong," said Jade, drawing. "You have two turns left."

"And now," said Jade, "the central card of my Deck… Yamoto the Noble Samurai, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and in a burst of light, the powerful Yamoto appeared! (2,200/2,000)

Yamoto and the Judge Man stared each other down and raised their weapons.

"So what good is THAT?" said Skackle. "Both those Warriors have equal Attack points! A battle will just end in a stalemate!"

"I don't intend to attack," said Jade. "It is your turn."

"Skackle growled and drew. He looked at his cards.

Junk, he thought. Nothing that could bring down that Samurai. If I play another Monster, I'll only get hurt by that katana… but she won't have him attack Judge Man either…

"I pass," he said. "There's nothing I can do!"

"Fine," said Jade. "You'd best make your next turn a big one, for it will be your last. And now the Monster that I got from the Witch…"

She put the card down.

"Sahia the Samurai Squire! In Attack Mode!"

Yamoto's student appeared beside her mentor, with her sword drawn. The two of them looked at each other and nodded. (1,700/1,500)

And then, Sashia's Attack points rose to 2,000, as they always did when Yamoto was on the field.

"Huh?" said Skackle.

"Yamoto, Sashia!" said Jade. "Combine your attacks! Ki energy blast!"

Yamoto and Sashia clashed their swords together, and a beam of holy light shot forward, blasting the Judge Man away. Skackle's Life Points fell to 1,150, and Skackle screamed.

"Their cooperative attack!" said Mary. "I'd forgotten about it!"

"And Skackle isn't taking it well!" said Siegfried.

"Pain…" he said. "Horrible pain…"

"That is what a 2,600 point attack will do to you," said Jade. "Now move."

Skackle struggled to draw…

And then he laughed out loud.

"The end is near!" he said. "Zoa, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the hideous, blue, four-legged Fiend appeared. (2,600/1,900).

"This demon will win the match for me!" said Skackle. "Attack Sashia! Shadow claws attack!"

Zoa pounced forward and tore Sashia apart! Jade's actually screamed this time, as her _gi_ was ripped, and claw marks appeared on her flesh. She fell to her knees.

"JADE!!" said Yugi. For a moment, they thought she had lost…

But slowly, she crawled back to her feet, Blood dripped from her wounds. Her score now stood at 150.

"Such diehard fortitude," said Skackle. "Well, your Samurai is next, and you'll never be able to endure a second attack from Zoa!"

"Your Fiend can't defeat Yamoto," said Jade, quietly. "Against Fiends, his Attack Power is 2,700."

Skackle drew back.

"And I'm only telling you that because I don't intend to have him attack Zoa," continued Jade. "I have something else in mind. That was your last move…"

She drew.

"Hmm, even better than I thought," she said. "I'm using Monster Reborn to bring Sashia back!"

She put the card down, and Sashia returned.

"Fat lot of good THAT will do you," said Skackle, forgetting about Yamoto's effect. "Zoa has 2,600 Attack Points. If you use the cooperative attack, all three will die!"

"I don't intend to do that," said Jade. "I told you, I have something else in mind. I promised to teach you a lesson you would never forget, and I intend to. Behold!"

She held up a card.

"A Ritual card?!" said Skackle.

"The Temple of Heaven Ritual card!" said Clive.

"She used this in her duel against Yugi in the Duelist Labyrinth finals!" said Mary.

"Let's hope it's more successful here than it was against me," said Yugi.

Jade put the card down, and the huge oriental temple appeared around her.

"Even in this forsaken chamber, the will of the Celestial Stewards will be heard!" she said. "To activate the power of this ceremony, I offer as sacrifice both Sashia and Yamoto!"

The two Warriors vanished in a beam of light, as did the Temple of Heaven. The whole room started to shake. Zoa started to draw back in fear as a huge shape started to form.

"What in the name of…" said Skackle.

"I summon the greatest emissary of the gods," said Jade, "the mighty divine beast known as Shen Lung, the Celestial Herald!"

The enormous, oriental, emerald green, coiled dragon appeared in the air around her, staring with golden eyes at Zoa and its master! (3,150/2,500 )

"N-no!" said Skackle. "Stay back!!"

"I don't care how tough you are," said Jade. "No being who worships evil can withstand the wrath of Shen Lung's divine fire! Shen-Lung, attack Zoa with righteous flames of Heaven attack!!"

Steam blew from Shen Lung's nostrils, and he breathed a gout of white-hot flame at Zoa! The Fiend was incinerated, and a scream echoed throughout the chamber.

Skackle's Life Points were at 600, still more than Jade's but he was finished. He was on the floor, his clothes and skin scorched, twitching, and gasping for breath. His cards were spilled and some were torn.

"No more…" he begged. "Mercy, please…"

"Jade!" said Mary, running up to her. Her friends followed… they were almost certain Jade was going to die from her wounds, and they had no first aid kit…

But then, the Altar glowed, and a light surrounded Jade. The scars and cuts healed, the bruises faded, and she stood up straight.

"Guys, I'm… all right," she said. "I think I saw the vision of some woman with the head of a cat or something…"

They looked at her strangely. She looked at her ruined _gi_.

"Too bad she could not sew," she said. "I will have to get a new one of these."

They looked over at Skackle. Whatever had healed Jade had not healed him.

Jade went up to him. "On your feet!" she said.

"No…" he said, frightened.

"Do not tell it to me," said Jade. "Tell it to him."

She pointed him towards Yugi.

The Puzzle started to glow.

"NO!!" said Skackle.

"I've looked into your heart, Skackle," said Yugi. "It is a vile, dark thing, cracked and ready to fall apart. So why prolong it…?

"PENALTY GAME!!"

Skackle screamed.

And then he was silent. He went limp, with both his eyes staring into space.

"W-what?" said Mary. "Is he dead?"

"No," said Yugi. "Skackle was a sadistic, hideous man who's soul was rotten, as was his heart. As I said, his heart was cracked and damaged, ready to shatter when the right crisis came along. So I sped things up, and smashed it into a hundred pieces.

"Right now, he is in the dark corridors of his mind, trying hard to put together the shattered pieces. When and if he succeeds, then perhaps he will have put them together right, and his allegiance to Set will be no more than a memory."

A door opened, and another stairway opened.

"What time is it?" said Yugi.

"One-thirty," said Mary.

"Come people," he said. "Let's meet the last member of Remi's inner circle, and if we are lucky, the City will be free before sundown."

Mary helped Jade don her armor, and ten minutes later, they were on their way.

"Um, Jade," said Clive. "Are you… _really_ able to bathe in boiling water?"

Jade chuckled.

"It is a ritual called _mizu-ken-kasai_," she said. "It is sort of a sensory-deprivation meditation ritual used for strength and purification. A Samurai's _ki_ abilities keep him or her from drowning and burning, while at the same time allowing him to use the water to focus his mind."

"How do you learn it?" said Peter. "Do you start with a hot spring or something and work your way up to hotter?"

"No," said Jade. "A beginner starts at full temperature, but he or she must have the aid of one who is experienced. So long as the initiate never breaks physical contact with the aid, he or she is safe… and eventually the initiate learns how to do it herself.

"You know, people," she said with a slight smile, "I am authorized to aid another in _mizu-ken-kasai_… perhaps after this is over, one of you could join me one of these days…"

They all looked at each other.

"Um," said Mary.

"We'll think about it," said Yugi.

He didn't want to tell the others, but he was incredibly curious.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his throne room, Remi walked over to a table which contained a small apparatus… a chessboard, on which were very expensive pieces.

The setup was not right. The Red side had all sixteen pieces. The White side had only a King, a Queen, both Knights, a Bishop, and a Rook.

Remi sat and gazed at the chessboard.

"I've always considered Yugi the opposing King in this whole debacle," he said. And that King was more than a match for Void."

He took the Red Rook from the board and lay it on its side.

"Lady Circe was taken by the opposing Queen," he said.

He took the Red Queen and removed it from the board.

"Yugi's first Knight captured Mantra…"

He removed a Red Bishop.

"…while his other Knight took Des Fist."

He removed one of the two Red Knights

"Now, Yugi's Bishop has taken Skackle," he said, removing the second Red Bishop.

"Not to mention the fact that through the combined efforts of all of them all my Pawns have fallen."

He removed the eight Red Pawns one by one, and lay them on the side of the board, just like the others.

He looked at the board. The White King, Queen, Knights, Rook, and Bishop now faced a Red Knight, Rook, and King.

"But as successful as they have been, a checkmate is far from being achieved. Even if the Red Knight and the Red Rook are taken, they will go starting a strategy that will lead the Red King to victory…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GATLING SOLDIER****(Monster Card)******

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect

**Attribute:** Dark

**Level:** 4

**ATK:** 1,300

**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** Battle Damage done by this card is doubled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HECATE, QUEEN OF NIGHT****(Monster Card)******

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy

**Attribute:** Dark

**Level:** 5

**ATK:** 2,100

**DEF:** 1,000

**Flavor Text:** _This coldly beautiful fairy presides over all darkness. Some say she was cursed and banished from the realms of light._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHUGENJA SORCERESS****(Monster Card)******

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster

**Attribute:** Light

**Level:** 4

**ATK:** 1,900

**DEF:** 800

**Flavor Text:** _This young practitioner of white magic derives her powers from divine forces. She is a close ally of Yamoto the Noble Samurai._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SACRED BOW****(Spell Card)******

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A golden longbow that exudes holy light.

**Card Description: **Equip only to a LIGHT Monster. The Equipped Monster gains 400 Attack Points and gains 500 more Attack Points during damage calculation when battling a DARK Monster.


	28. The Duel of Kings

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**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

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**The Duel of Kings**

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The six friends climbed the long stairway up to whom they believed to be the last member of Remi's inner circle. This stairway was a lot better maintained. It was made of white marble, and had odd, yet colorful runes covering them. The walls were covered with murals that seemed Russian in origin.

They came to a large set of double doors, decorated with what looked like a checkerboard pattern in red and white.

"Okay guys," said Yugi. "Whoever the last member of Remi's inner circle is, he's likely the best. We must be on our guard…"

The Puzzle came to life, and the change overtook him. They pushed open the doors.

They entered a huge, brightly lit chamber, with the oddest contraption in the center. It looked sort of like a huge dueling station, but the grid below was flat, and shaped like a huge chessboard, with holographic projectors on the corners. Above on each side were elevated platforms with stairs to reach them. They assumed consoles of some sort were there.

"Hello?" said Clive. "Anybody here?"

"Welcome, children," said a voice. "Welcome to my abode."

A man came into view, and they all flinched. He was as tall as Des Fist, and was just as muscular. He was bald, and his face looked handsome, with a neatly trimmed moustache and goatee. He dressed better than Des Fist, wearing an expensive suit that looked Eastern European.

"Children?" said Mary, somewhat annoyed. "We're sixteen years old!"

"Yes, yes, of course," said the man. His accent was slightly Russian. "Where are my manners? You may call me Olympius."

"You seem a little friendly for a Rare Hunter," said Yugi.

"I love my job," said Olympius. "Remi wasn't born with Duel Monsters skills, you know… no one is. He had to be taught it. I was the greatest Duel Monsters player in Russia. So he got me to teach him… and I taught him all he knew about the game."

"This guy is Remi's teacher?!" said Peter.

"You were right, Yugi," said Jade. "This man likely is better than any other employee he has… he is likely better than Remi!"

"But how good is Remi?" said Clive.

"We aren't afraid to face you," said Yugi. "And none of us is afraid of the consequences of losing. Whoever you want to duel, just chose, get your Dueling Disk and…"

"Oh no, Yugi," said Olympius. "Dueling one of you in a game of Duel Monsters would be… boring. I crave a different challenge, a different type of Duel."

He motioned to the chessboard.

"What, you want to play chess?" said Siegfried.

"In my youth, I was a national Grandmaster of Chess," said Olympius. "But even normal chess is so… boring! Do any of you know how to play Dueling Chess?"

Dueling Chess! They had all heard of it. A relatively new game that had gone on the market three years ago. Industrial Illusions had combined Duel Monsters with the ancient game of chess to create a new board game… but it had not yet caught on as well as Duel Monsters had…

"I've played it a few times," said Yugi. "But I could never defeat an expert at it…"

"Stand aside Yugi," said Siegfried. "You're with a man whose uncle helped _invent_ the game!"

"WHAT?!" said all his friends.

"I never wanted to tell you this," said Siegfried, "but about four years ago, my uncle came up with the idea for Dueling Chess. He hated working with Anastasia to market it, after what her father did to him, but he had no choice, seeing as she owned the copyright to Duel Monsters. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride to make your ideas see light.

"Anyway, he taught me how to play it, and I've become quite good at it. I've already told you Yugi, the only person who's ever beaten me at _anything_ is you.

"Besides," he said, looking in his backpack. "I even have a special set of cards to go with some in my normal deck to play Dueling Chess."

"Then get ready my friend," said Olympius. "I'll give you twenty minutes to get your deck together. Then we meet at the chessboard. And to show you I am a gentleman, I will even let you be White."

"This guy seems too friendly to be working for Remi," whispered Mary to Yugi.

"I know," said Yugi. "It's strange."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Indeed it is, isn't it, thought Remi, who was watching, as usual.

I'm not sure exactly how this will turn out Yugi, but you'd best tread carefully…

For even if Siegfried wins, you might never know what a horrible mistake you might make!

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_And now some explanations:_

_**Rules of Dueling Chess**_

_Dueling Chess is played on a chessboard with squares big enough to hold the cards (Siegfried and Olympius will use boards that will project images on the board-shaped dueling grid). Each player has a deck, which must consist of exactly forty cards, not including one special Monster card that will be used as the King. Of the forty cards, at least twenty-five must be Monsters, and of the Monsters, no more than five can have attack points higher than twenty. Your deck cannot have more than one copy of the same card._

_The columns on the board, from left to right, are labeled 1 to 8. The rows, from the White side to the Red side, are labeled A through H. Individual squares are designated by the row and column. (Such as C3)._

_Before beginning, a player takes the special Monster card that he chooses as his King and places it anywhere on his half of the board (usually on his first row). This Monster is considered a King for all attempts and purposes, and if it has an Effect, it loses the Effect for the game._

_Each player starts with 4,000 Life Points in Dueling Chess. Drawing and discarding is done the same way it is done in Duel Monsters._

_**Turns**_

_On each of his turns (White moves first), a player can make two moves, which can consist of two of the following options:_

_1. Summoning a Monster card to the board anywhere on his half of the board either face up or face down. You cannot place a Monster card on an already-occupied space. This option can only be made once per turn._

_2. Summoning a Spell Card to the board in the same area face up or face down. You cannot place it on an already-occupied space unless it is an Equip card and the space is occupied by an appropriate Monster. _

_3. Summoning a Trap Card to the board in the same area face down. Again, it cannot be placed on an already-occupied space._

_4. Moving a card (White cannot do this on his first move). This option can only be made once per turn._

_5. Flipping a face down card face up._

_**The Cards**_

_Monster, Spell, and Trap Cards function as follows in Dueling Chess._

_**Monsters:**__ Monsters are the primary pieces in the game. Their power relies on the number of attack points they have in Duel Monsters._

_Any face down Monster (Defense Mode) can only move as a Pawn (two spaces forward the first move, one space forward from then on). Monsters with Attack Points lower than 500 also move as Pawns (A Pawn is not promoted if it reaches the eighth square, as it is in standard chess). Monsters with at least 500 Attack Points but lower than 1,000 move as Knights. Those with at least 1,000 but less than 1,500 move as Bishops. Those with at least 1,500 but less than 2,000 move as Rooks. Those with at least 2,000 but less than 2,500 move as Queens. However, those with 2,500 or greater Attack points have the movement capacity of a King (however, a piece like this is not considered the actual King). Remember, one is limited to five Monsters with an Attack power of over 2,000 in the deck, and most players do not keep any King cards unless they have a powerful effect. Monsters may have Effects, just as they do in Duel Monsters, and in some cases, the Effects are different in Dueling Chess._

_**Spell Cards:**__ A Spell Card that is facedown may move as a Pawn. One that is summoned face up is used, and then discarded, unless it is a Continuous Spell Card, in which case it remains until it is taken, and can no longer move. Some Spell Cards have different effects than they do in Duel Monsters._

_**Trap Cards:**__ Trap Cards must be summoned face down, and then can move as Pawns. When a Trap Card is flipped, the Trap is activated (if possible), and then destroyed, unless it is a Continuous Trap, in which case it remains until taken, and can no longer move. Again, some Trap Cards have different effects than they do in Duel Monsters. _

_**Conflicts**_

_A conflict occurs when a piece tries to take another piece by occupying the same square as the opposing piece. _

_Monster vs. Monster:__ Attack and Defense scores are not used in this game as they are in Duel Monsters. Each Monster has Power Points depending on the type of piece they are. Pawns have 500 PP. Knights have 1,000 PP. Bishops have 1,500 PP. Rooks have 2,000 PP. Queens have 2,500 PP. Kings (including the two true Kings) have 3,000 PP. These points can be reduced or increased by normal methods (Traps, Equips, etc,)._

_When two Monsters enter conflict, the losing piece is taken, and goes to the Graveyard. If the losing piece was in facedown Defense Mode, no Life Points are lost. If the losing piece was in Attack Mode, Life Points are deducted accordingly._

_If a player tries to start a conflict with a face down Defense Mode Monster and loses, the target is flipped face up, and the attacker loses Life Points accordingly. Any Flip Effects are enacted, and the attacking piece is returned to its previous location._

_Monster :__ Monster cards automatically take Spell Cards, and their effects are wasted._

_Monster vs. Trap:__ When a Monster takes a Trap Card, the Trap is activated (often upon the attacking Monster) and the Trap Card is taken._

_Note that facedown cards cannot start a conflict._

_**Winning**_

_Winning Dueling chess can be done in two ways._

_1. Reducing your opponent's Life Points to zero, as in a standard Duel._

_2. Achieving checkmate, which is done by winning a conflict with the opposing King._

_Note that a player is not "decked out" if he uses all his cards, but a situation is reached where there is no way for either player to defeat the other, a stalemate occurs._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Siegfried climbed the stairway to his console, which looked like a chessboard. He saw the huge chessboard underneath him. He could pretty much make out the gist of how it worked.

"Ready, young man?" said Olympius, at the Red side.

"As ready as I'll ever be," said Siegfried.

"Then chose your King," said Olympius.

"Already chosen," said Siegfried. "I chose as my King the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! And I place him on square A4."

He put the card down, and the huge Blue-Eyes, more white than ever, appeared on the huge chessboard, square A4.

"Well, that makes sense," said Clive.

"So, you are using your favorite Monster as your King," said Olympius. "Then I will use my own favorite Monster as mine. Black Luster Soldier, Envoy of the Beginning! Which I will place on square H4.

He put the card down, and the armored Soldier appeared with his sword, only dressed in scarlet armor, rather than black.

"Oh no!" said Mary. "I've heard of that Monster! Once per round, he can remove any Monster from the field!"

"No he can't," said Yugi.

"Huh?"

"Since Olympius chose that guy for the King," said Yugi, "he gave up the Envoy's Effects."

"But… why?" said Peter.

Siegfried was just as puzzled.

"Why use him for a King?" he said. "If you used him for a normal piece, you'd have had a great advantage."

"Maybe so," said Olympius. "But such an advantage… it would be unfair. I'd win too easily."

"Unfair?!" said Mary. "Since when do Remi's thugs fight fair?!"

Yugi started to ponder this.

"Well then," said Siegfried. "In that case…

"It's time to duel! _Dueling Chess!"_

The scores were set to 4,000. They both made their five draws, and Siegfried looked at his cards.

"For my first move, said Siegfried. "I'll summon the Mechanicalchaser in square C4!"

He placed a card down on his small chessboard, and the spherical, winged, many-limbed Machine appeared two squares in front of his Dragon, painted white. (Rook)

"Since I can't move it, I'll end my turn there," he said.

"Okay," said Olympius, drawing and looking at his cards.

"First, a card facedown in square E4," he said.

A silhouette appeared two spaces in front of the Mechanicalchaser.

"And now," he said. "I'll summon Oni Tank T-34 to square F4."

He put another card down, and a demonic looking piece of artillery appeared behind the facedown, painted scarlet. (Bishop)

He must think I'm stupid, thought Siegfried. Summoning a facedown card in front of my Rook, and a Bishop behind it.

He drew.

Well this will take care of it…

"I place this card on square A1," he said. "The Heavy Storm Spell Card!"

A storm erupted on the field, and the facedown card on E4 exploded into a mass of chains and disintegrated.

"A Shadow Spell Trap," said Siegfried. "Can't blame you for trying. Mechanicalchaser, advance to square F4, and attack the Oni Tank with energy prod attack!"

The Mechanicalchaser flew forward three spaces and jabbed the Oni Tank with its prod. The Tank exploded.

"White Rook takes Red Bishop," said Siegfried.

Olympius's Life Points went down to 3,500.

"Well, first blood to Siegfried," said Mary.

Olympius chuckled. "Clever move their lad," he said. "Guess it's my turn…"

"Um, was that just a compliment?" said Clive.

"I… think it was…" said Jade.

Yugi rubbed his chin.

Olympius drew, and grinned.

"I play this Spell Card on square H2," he said. "Swords of Revealing Light!"

He put it down, and a mass of swords fell over Siegfried's side.

"That will keep your pieces from moving for three turns," said Olympius.

"I know what it does," said Siegfried.

"And to finish my move," said Olympius, "I'll summon the Dark Elf on Square E8."

He put the card down, and a woman appeared on E8. She looked like the Mystical Elf's evil twin, with glowing red eyes, and a scarlet robe. (Queen).

"Oh, I don't like that," said Jade. "That's a Queen, and she has a diagonal path towards Siegfried's King…"

"Yes," said Clive. "But she isn't strong enough to achieve a checkmate… not yet…"

Siegfried was thinking. That Elf could be trouble, he thought. He'll likely do something to make her stronger…

He drew.

Maybe I could fool him.

"I'll just make one move this turn," he said. "One card facedown on square B2."

He set the card down, and a silhouette appeared in the space to the diagonal right of his Blue Eyes.

Clever, thought Olympius. He obviously set a trap to block my Elf's path. But I can get rid of it…

He drew.

"I'll first place this Spell Card on H8, Dust Tornado!" he said. "And I'll aim it at your card on B2!"

The Dust Tornado plowed into square B2, but when it subsided, the silhouette was still there.

Unharmed? thought Olympius. Than that must be a Monster under there. Well then this will just take a little longer.

"I'll finish my move by Equipping my Dark Elf with the Horn of the Unicorn!" he said.

He put the card down on square E8, and the horn appeared on the Dark Elf's forehead. Her Power Points went up to 3,200.

"No!" said Mary. "Now she's strong enough to checkmate his King!"

"And whatever other Monster he put in her way!" said Clive.

"Don't give up hope," said Jade. "It's Siegfried's turn now… although the Swords are still in place…"

Siegfried drew.

"I'll pass this turn," he said.

"What?!" said Peter.

"Siegfried, you can't give up!" said Mary.

"Just let me play!" said Siegfried.

"Fine," said Olympius. "Dark Elf, advance to square B2 and attack that defensive Monster! Dark sorcery attack!"

The Elf glided to B2 and shot a black bolt at the hidden monster…

But then a huge beast sprang up! It was the Man-Eater Bug!

"What?!" said Olympius.

The huge Bug bit the Dark Elf in half, and they both vanished.

Siegfried chuckled.

"Seems your Queen took my Pawn," he said. "But he took your Queen as well. And since the Bug was in Defense Mode, the only one to lose Life Points is you… 800 to be exact!"

Olympius's Life Points fell to 2,700.

"Well played," said Olympius. "I do not believe I ever seen anyone use that strategy. Well, it is still my move, so I think I will summon Niwatori in square E2."

He placed a card down, and a huge, red chicken appeared near the center right of the board. (Knight)

"That's an odd Knight," said Peter. "It doesn't look formidable."

"Knights are equal in this game," said Yugi, "Except ones with effects."

Siegfried drew. He gave the card a look.

"I summon the Giant Spitting Cobra to square B2!" he said.

The huge snake appeared, and though it looked menacing, it looked strange colored white. (Queen)

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" said Siegfried. "And you should know, that in a conflict, this Queen lowers the Power Points of her opponent by 400."

The Swords faded.

"I'll forgo the second part of my turn, but my pieces will be free to move next turn."

"Indeed," said Olympius, drawing. "Hmm, first, I'll lay a card facedown in square F2."

A silhouette appeared behind the Niwatori.

"And then, I'll summon the Witty Phantom on square G5."

The Fiend appeared, diagonal from the Black Luster Soldier, wearing a red tuxedo rather than his standard purple. He chuckled and took a bow. (Bishop)

Siegfried sighed. The Witty Phantom, he thought. My uncle really hated that guy…

He drew.

But he was really dumb not to move that Niwatori out of the way.

"Giant Spitting Cobra," he said, "advance to square E2 and attack the Niwatori! Acid Spit attack!"

The Cobra advanced, and the Niwatori's Power Points fell to 600. The snake spit a stream of venom, and the chicken was reduced to bones.

"White Queen takes Red Knight," said Siegfried. Olympius's Life Points fell to 1,200.

"All right!" said Mary. "Siegfried's got this game cold!"

"I dunno," said Clive. "That was a little too easy."

"And when something seems too easy," said Peter, "it usually isn't…"

"And to conclude my move," said Siegfried, "I'll summon Ryu-Kishin to square A2."

He set the card down, and the large gargoyle appeared, four spaces behind the Cobra, seemingly made of white marble.

Olympius chuckled as he drew. "Well," he said. "I'd hoped to take out only your Rook and your Queen with this next move, but now I can add a third one to that!"

"Huh?" said Siegfried.

"First," I'll place this Spell Card on square H1.

He did so, and the Mystical Elf appeared, chanted, and vanished. His Life Points went up to 2,200.

Gift of the Mystical Elf.

"And now," said Olympius, "I'll reveal this card I placed on F2: the Spell Card known as Raigeki!"

"What?!" said Siegfried.

He flipped the card. "This wipes out every piece on Row F and Column 2!" he said.

Energy ripped through the Row and the Column, blowing away the Mechanicalchaser, the Giant Spitting Cobra, and the Ryu-Kishin! Siegfried's Life Points fell to 2,500.

Terrific, thought Siegfried. He set a trap for me, and I fell for it like a sucker.

"Um, I don't get it," said Mary. "Why didn't Olympius aim that Raigeki so it would catch the Blue-Eyes?"

"Raigeki can't mate the King in this game," said Yugi. "Neither can most Monster-removal effects. Emphasis on _most_."

Siegfried drew.

"Mystic Horseman to square D2," he said, putting a card down.

The huge centaur appeared with white fur behind where the Cobra was (Bishop).

"And I'll forgo the rest of my turn,"

Olympius drew. He gave the card a good look.

"I'll summon this card to square E4!" he said. "Jigen Bakudan!"

The dreaded time bomb appeared near the center of the board, it's arrow fixed on the three. (Pawn)

"And I'll move it two spaces forward, to square C4!" he continued.

The bomb lifted up its legs, and trudged forward… towards the Blue-Eyes!

The timer on it moved to the two.

"I don't like the look of that!" said Mary.

"Jigen Bakudan is bad news in this game, Mary," said Yugi. "It's only a Pawn, but it _cannot_ be taken… and two rounds after it is summoned, it will self-destruct, destroying all pieces on adjacent spaces. And that _can_ be used to checkmate the King!

"The best thing Siegfried can do now is move his King out of the way… unless Olympius has some way to stop him…"

Siegfried drew.

He looked at the card strangely.

"First, I'll place this card facedown on square C8," he said.

The glowing silhouette appeared on the far right.

"Then," he said. "I'll summon Saggi the Dark Clown to square B4 to block your Jigen Bakudan!"

He placed the card down, and the Dark Clown (not so dark, as he was now dressed in white) appeared between the Blue-Eyes and the time bomb. (Knight)

"Your move."

"Nice try, lad," said Olympius, "but ineffective. I'm first going to play a Spell Card on square H1, Change of Heart!"

He put it down, and a spell came over Saggi!

"It lets me order one of your pieces to move, and I'll use it move your Knight out of the way, to square C6!"

Saggi walked to two spaces right, and one up, ending up two spaces to the left of Siegfried's facedown card.

"Now I'll move my Jigen Bakudan one space forward to square B4!" he said.

The time bomb moved forward, and was now face-to-face with the Blue-Eyes.

"That ends my turn," said Olympius. "But on the end my next turn, my bomb will explode, and I'll win!"

The timer on the Bakudan edged onto the one.

"No!" said Mary.

"No you won't," said Siegfried, quietly. "Not while I have this Trap Card."

"Huh?"

He turned over the card at C8.

"The Shift card?!" said Olympius in surprise.

"Uh huh," said Siegfried. "Someone so knowledgeable in Dueling Chess must know all about the Shift Trap in this game. It allows me to move one my pieces to where I set the Trap! And I chose my King Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

The Blue-Eyes vanished, and reappeared on square C8.

"So now," said Siegfried, "when it's your turn ends again, your Jigen Bakudan will destroy nothing except itself!

"To conclude my turn, I'll move Saggi. Saggi, move to square D8."

Saggi walked towards the Blue-Eyes, hopped over him, and landed on the space in front of him.

"Well, then," said Olympius, drawing. "I guess it's my turn… I must admit, Siegfried, you are rather good at this… you should consider playing chess on the circuit…"

"Thanks for the tip," said Siegfried, "but I much prefer regular Duel Monsters."

"Of course," said Olympius.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

This was enough for Yugi.

"Spirit of the Puzzle," he said inside his mind, "come to me!"

Inside his mind, he was face to face with his strange partner.

"Yes Yugi," he said.

"This is too weird," said Yugi. "Up until now, Remi's inner circle – heck, all of his henchmen – have insulted and goaded us. This Olympius guy hasn't insulted or threatened any of us at all. He's trying to win, but he's even complimenting Siegfried whenever he makes a good move! This guy just doesn't go with Remi."

"That is true…" said the Spirit.

"Heck, he didn't even tell Siegfried what would happen to him if he lost… but he wouldn't just let us go unharmed if Sieg lost, would he?"

The Spirit thought.

"There is more to this situation than meets the eye, Yugi. We must concentrate on this Olympius fellow… try to see what his motives are. And we must hope that this duel lasts long enough for us to find the answers we need…"

They started to concentrate…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Olympius was pondering his next move.

I could take that Clown with my Witty Phantom, but he'd do more damage to me when he took the Phantom with his Dragon… Hmm. I think I have an idea…

"I summon Kojikocy on square H2," he said.

He put the card down, and the Nordic warrior with his sword appeared in red armor on the back-left. (Rook)

"Now, move to square D2, and attack the Mystic Horseman! Nordic sword slash!"

Kojikocy charged forward four squares and cut down the Mystic Horseman.

"Red Rook takes White Bishop," said Olympius. Siegfried's Life Points fell to 2,000.

"So he does," said Siegfried.

"Now it's your…" started Olympius.

A deafening roar came over the room as the Jigen Bakudan exploded.

"As I was saying," he continued, "Now it's your turn."

Siegfried drew.

Hey, thought. "Maybe I can lure him into a trap of my own.

"I'll first summon Dark Gray to square C4," he said.

He put the card down, and a fierce looking goat appeared on C4. (Knight)

"Although he isn't quite Gray now, is he," said Siegfried, looking at the white Beast. Now, Dark Gray, move to square E3."

Dark Gray trotted two squares forward, and then one to the side, ending up diagonally below Kojikocy.

"Your move," he said.

"Sloppy of you there," said Olympius, noticing that the Dark Gray was in a direct diagonal path from his Witty Phantom.

He drew.

"Didn't you notice this?" he said. "Witty Phantom, advance to square E3 and attack the Dark Gray! Phantom shadow punch!"

The Witty Phantom charged and socked the Dark Gray, and the goat vanished into mist.

"Red Bishop takes White Knight," said Olympius. Siegfried's Life Points fell further, to 1,500.

"Any other move you'd like to make?" asked Siegfried.

"Yes, actually," said Olympius. "I place Soul of the Pure on square H7."

He put the card down, and the shimmering angel appeared. His Life Points went up to 3,000.

"Okay," said Siegfried, drawing. "Actually, I DID see your Phantom. I moved Dark Gray to that spot to lure him next to Kojikocy!"

"Huh?" said Olympius.

"First," said Siegfried, "Saggi, move to square B7."

Saggi hopped over the Blue-Eyes again, and walked a square to the left.

"Now," said Siegfried, "I place this Spell Card face up on D3… the Dark Hole!"

He placed it down, and a swirling vortex appeared above the square. The Witty Phantom and Kojikocy covered their eyes.

"The Dark Hole destroys all Monsters in adjacent squares," said Siegfried. "Meaning your Rook and Bishop!"

Kojikocy and the Phantom were sucked into the vortex, which quickly closed. Olympius's Life Points fell to 2,125.

"Interesting strategy," said Olympius. "Sacrificing one piece to take two opposing ones. I had an opponent try that once… but it didn't work when he tried it… oh well, my turn…"

He drew.

"Hmmm," he said

"Well, it's a start, but Sieg is still behind," said Clive.

"Life Points won't matter if someone manages to make a checkmate," said Jade.

"Yeah, but Siegfried's in a riskier spot," said Peter. "His King has moved, while Olympius's King is quite out of reach. And furthermore… hey, what's Yugi doing?"

They looked at him.

"Praying?" said Mary.

"No," said Jade. "He seems to meditating…"

"Maybe he's talking to that weird ghost inside him or something, I don't know," said Peter. "Whoever that guy is, I hope Yugi's safe with him…"

"I summon the Serpent Night Dragon to square H8!" he said.

The huge, sinuous, dragon, now with red scales, appeared floating over the back-right square. (Queen)

"I'll forego the rest of my turn," said Olympius.

Crud, said Siegfried. Another Queen. And since she's staring down my Blue-Eyes, he likely has a new plan for a checkmate. Have to be careful… and maybe I can start a strategy of my own.

He drew.

"I will simply lay one card facedown in square D1," said Siegfried, doing so. "And that is my turn.

"Then," said Olympius, "I will put a card facedown in square G8."

He did so, and the card shape appeared.

"And then, I will move it two spaces forward, to square E8."

The silhouette moved forward, towards the Blue-Eyes.

I think I might know what that card is, thought Siegfried. In the meantime…

He drew.

"I summon the Chain Golem to square B4," he said, putting a card down.

A very strange Monster appeared on B4. It seemed to be a humanoid figure draped completely in white, spiked, barbed chains, with several of them dangling from its limbs. (Rook)

"That's all for my move," said Siegfried.

Hmm, thought Olympius. I don't believe I've ever seen that Monster before…

"I will only move my facedown card one step further, to square D8," said Olympius.

The silhouette moved forward again, and was now just in front of the Blue-Eyes. He turned to it and growled.

Siegfried drew. He smiled.

"Saggi," he said, "move to square D8 and attack that facedown card! Dark glide!"

Saggi moved to the spot and shot a ball of dark energy at the card, and it burst…

But then the Spellbinding Circle appeared, and ensnared him! His Power Points fell down to 300!

"Aha!" said Siegfried. "You obviously intended for my Dragon to attack that Trap! Then your Serpent Night Queen would have been able to checkmate!"

"You seem happy for someone who's about to lose," chuckled Olympius. "All I have to do is attack your weakened Knight with my Queen, and your Life Points will be gone!"

"My turn isn't over yet," said Siegfried. "I can remove Saggi from the board and take _your_ Life Points down a peg all in one move! I summon the Cannon Soldier to square A3!"

The huge robot with a cannon on its shoulder, now with a white paint job, appeared on Siegfried's side. (Bishop)

"Sorry about this Saggi," said Siegfried, "but I need to use you for fuel!"

Saggi was engulfed in white light, and was absorbed by the Cannon Soldier.

"You've got his energy, Bishop," said Siegfried, "now aim your cannon right at the Black Luster Soldier!"

The cannon powered up and fired! The Black Luster Soldier was hit and fell on his rump. Olympius's Life Points went down further to 1,725.

"Yes! Look at Siegfried go!" said Mary.

My word! thought Olympius. This lad is good! I have _never_ seen such strategy!

He drew.

"You are indeed a worthy adversary Siegfried, but I will still win," he said. "I'll place Dian Keto the Cure Master on square H3."

He put down the card, and the mystic with his crystal ball appeared and vanished. Olympius's Life Points went up to 2,725.

"And now I'll summon the Giant Turtle Who Feeds On Flames on square G4," he continued.

He put the card down, and a huge turtle with a fiery red shell appeared in front of the Black Luster Soldier. (Bishop)

He won't attack it with that chain-shrouded Rook, thought Olympius. Not when my King can do 1,000 points of damage to his Life Points by taking it…

But Siegfried had other ideas.

This just might work, he thought.

"First," said Siegfried. "I'm going to get rid of your Queen with this card!"

He held it up.

"Tribute To The Doomed!" said Olympius.

"That's right," said Siegfried. "I discard one card from my hand, and I think I'll place it… here!"

He put it down on A4. A swarm of bandages erupted around the Serpent Night Dragon, wrapping her up, and then a huge hand grabbed her! Olympius's Life Points fell down to 2,100.

"Now, Chain Golem," he said. "Advance to square G4, and attack the Giant Turtle! Barbed chain slash attack!"

The Chain Golem moved forward with a rattling sound, and struck the Giant Turtle Who Feeds on Flames! It exploded in a burst of fire.

"White Rook takes Red Bishop," said Siegfried. Olympius's Life Points fell further, to 1,600.

The Chain Golem was now face-to-face with the enemy King.

Okay, thought Siegfried. Let's hope this works…

I'm beginning to get frustrated! thought Olympius. I've never dueled someone this good. Well, his Golem won't last long…

"Black Luster Soldier," he said. "Advance to square G4 and attack the Chain Golem! Chaos blade attack!"

The Soldier stepped forward and cut down the Golem. It fell, and Siegfried's Life Points fell to 500.

"No…" said Mary.

"Red King takes White Ro… Hey!" said Olympius.

All of a sudden, the remains of the Chain Golem came to life. A swarm of white chains wrapped around the Black Luster Soldier, tying him the ground! And that wasn't all. His Power Points fell from 3,000 to 2,300!

"The Chain Golem is an Effect Monster," said Siegfried. "It has a built in Shadow Spell that hits whoever destroys it in battle. Now your King is helpless to move, and he's weakened!

"Still your move, by the way…"

Olympius frantically looked at his cards. "Whiptail Crow at… square… F4!" he said.

The orange bird-fiend appeared, and bore its claws. (Rook).

"Sorry old boy," said Siegfried, but one square to your right, and you might have gained another round. But I'm bringing this to a close.

"See that facedown card on square D1? The one you likely forgot all about? You really should have attacked it while you could, but it's too late now…

He flipped the card. It was…

"Monster Reborn?!" said Olympius.

"Yep," said Siegfried. "And I'm using it to bring back the strongest piece I've used…"

The Giant Spitting Cobra appeared on the space! It hissed again.

"As you recall," said Siegfried, "This baby is a Queen. Her Power Points are now 2,500, and…"

"She has a clear diagonal path to my Black Luster Soldier!!" said Olympius.

"That's right!" said Siegfried. "A long term strategy that just panned out! Giant Spitting Cobra, advance to square G4 and attack with venom spit attack!"

The Cobra slithered diagonally, and shot its venom at the Black Luster Soldier! He melted into a pile of red slag!

"That's checkmate, fellah," said Siegfried. "I win."

Mary, Peter, and Clive cheered. Jade applauded.

"I… I lost…" said Olympius.

At that point, Yugi appeared on his platform.

"Yes, Olympius," he said, "you did. And that will make this a lot easier…"

"Aw man, this is gonna be good," said Clive.

Yugi raised his hand, and a soft glow emitted from his Puzzle. A golden light enveloped the whole room, and when the light came back, Olympius was clutching his hairless head.

"My head," he said. "What a headache. Confused…"

Everyone looked at each other strangely.

"Olympius," said Yugi. "You'd best take that thing out of your left jacket pocket before you hurt someone with it."

"There's nothing in my jacket pock…" he said reaching into it.

But then he felt something. He slowly pulled it out and was shocked to find a large handgun there.

He dropped it in fear. "I swear to you, that isn't mine!" he said.

"I believe you," said Yugi. He picked it up and disarmed it.

"Uh, Yugi, I don't get it," said Clive. "Why'd you let him off?"

"Because Clive," said Yugi. "Olympius was as much a victim as Jade was."

They all looked at him.

"I knew Olympius wasn't the average Rare Hunter. Too polite, too friendly… he didn't seem to fit in. So halfway through the duel, I used a little talent I had to look at him carefully, and due to fell magic put upon him, I was able to see images – shadows of memories from long ago."

They walked down the stairs to the floor, with Olympius still holding his head.

"Ten years ago, this man was just a kindly Russian businessman who happened to love Duel Monsters and chess, and be awfully good at both of them. He wasn't kidding about being a Grandmaster. And when Remi needed someone to teach him and the rest of his inner circle how to play, he needed one of the best. But Olympius refused, knowing full well that Remi planned evil. So Remi used his Millennium Rod to force him.

"But he couldn't change Olympius's attitude and personality – his will was too strong. He would never become a true merciless killer like the others we have met. So Remi was content on forcing him to use his knowledge of Duel Monsters to teach his most powerful henchmen the best ways to play the game.

"Still, the Rod has stronger powers. If Siegfried had lost the match, Remi, who was watching and likely still is, would have controlled him like a puppet, and made him shoot Siegfried between the eyes with the gun. But since Siegfried won, and therefore defeated Remi in the process, I was able to break the spell."

"I'm… I'm sorry…" said Olympius.

"It wasn't your fault," said Jade. "I fell victim to his evil powers too."

A door opened behind them, and another stairway led up.

"What can I do?" said Olympius.

"Stay here," said Yugi. "Bolt the doors. Once we handle Remi, we'll come back for you."

As they approached the stairway, Olympius turned to them.

"Thank you," he said. "After all these years, my head is clear again…"

They started up the stairway.

"Uh, Yugi," said Mary. "Did you say that Olympius met Remi ten years ago?"

"Yes."

"But… Remi is our age, isn't he? He'd have had to have been… six?"

They all stopped short.

They turned towards the top of the stairway.

"Remi," said Yugi. "Whatever the hell you are, we're going to send you back to where you came!"

They ran up the stairs, two at a time.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Remi went over to his table with the chessboard.

With a single flick of his finger, he knocked the remaining Red Knight over.

The Red Rook and the Red King remained, facing a White King, Queen, two Knights, a Rook, and a Bishop.

He took out some photographs… pictures he kept of his henchmen… all of which were now dead or incapacitated or otherwise lost due to the six duelists who were even now heading for him.

"Jerks," he said. "Idiots. Imbeciles. Morons. FAILURES!!"

He threw them to the floor and then slumped in his throne.

"I guess it's true what they say," he mumbled. "If you want something done right you've gotta do it yourself…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAIN GOLEM****(Monster Card)******

**Card Specs**

Type: Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle, Equip it to the Attacking Monster as an Equip Spell Card. The Equipped Monster cannot attack or change its Battle Position, and its ATK is reduced by 700.


	29. Dark Revelations

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dark Revelations**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

After climbing a long flight of stairs that had seemed to be endless, the six to them reached a large door Not wasting time with formalities, Yugi and Jade kicked it in. With Yugi in the lead, his spiritual partner with him, they entered the room.

"Okay, Remi," he said. "No place left to… hide?"

They had entered the spooky place that was Remi's throne room. It was beautiful in the same way a thunderstorm was beautiful, full of strange artifacts that emanated an elegant but ghostly décor. A balcony leading to the open air was on to the left… to the right…

The black gem. They had never seen such a thing before. The man-sized, multifaceted jewel was the color of a bruise, and practically reeked of evil. It was positioned in a strange alcove, next to a number that read 12.08. What this meant, they didn't know.

"Be on your guard," said Yugi.

"Remi!" said Jade. "Show yourself!"

As if to answer, guitar music started playing, and a song, so much like one that Yugi, Mary, Clive and Peter had heard weeks ago came from out of nowhere, to the sound of Remi's voice…

_How many roads must a man walk down  
Before you can call him a man?  
How many seas must a white dove sail  
Before she sleeps in the sand?_

_How many times must the cannon balls fly  
Before they're forever banned?  
_

_The answer, my friends, is blowin' in the wind,  
The answer is blowin' in the wind._

How many times must a man look up  
Before he can see to the sky?  
How many ears must one man have  
Before he can hear people cry?  
How many deaths will it take till he knows  
That too many people have died?

_  
The answer, my friends, is blowin' in the wind,  
The answer is blowin' in the wind._

How many years can a mountain exist  
Before it is washed to the sea?  
How many years can some people exist  
Before they're allowed to be free?  
How many times can a man turn his head,  
Pretending he just doesn't see?  


_The answer, my friends, is blowin' in the wind,  
The answer is blowin' in the wind._

At that point, the guitar strummed, and Remi spoke up:

"Y'know," he said, "given the current situation, I felt like adding another verse to this song… no offense to Bob Dylan…"

_How many wins must a champion have_

_Before he's rewarded with fame?_

_How many duels must a duelist endure_

_Before he's the King of the Game?_

_How many souls must the Shadow Realm take_

_Before there are no more to claim?_

_The answer my friends, is blowin' in the wind,_

_The answer is blowin' in the wind…_

The music stopped, and Remi stepped out of the shadows. He casually leaned against the wall and put his guitar down.

"Remi!" said Yugi.

"You won't escape this time, monster!" said Jade.

She started to reach for her sword.

"People, please," said Remi. "Haven't you seen enough movies to know that when the heroes confront the villain in his lair, they are always at a disadvantage?"

He casually raised his Rod, and the wall behind them started to move. Suddenly, twenty-four clawed hands made of stone shot forward, and grabbed their arms and legs! They started to struggle, but the arms retracted, and they were pulled against the wall with a crash.

"Can't move?" said Remi. "Good."

They all squirmed, but they were held tight. Not even Jade could work her way free.

"Okay," said Yugi. "So now what?"

"Don't get your undies in an uproar, Yugi," said Remi. "Do you think I went though all this trouble luring you here just to kill you? No… that would be too easy…"

"He crossed over to the other side of the room. "I suppose since you all got here, you are worthy of some answers… about who I am, and how I became Marik's Heir…"

He passed in front of a mirror hanging on the wall and the six friends gasped.

_He had no reflection!_

"You find that mirror interesting, folks?" he said.

"What are you Remi," said Clive. "A vampire?"

"Vampire?" laughed Remi. "How could I be a vampire? I was with you on the day of the school barbecue, in broad daylight! No, not a vampire Clive.

"But let me ask you something. Do you know _why_ vampires cast no reflections in mirrors?"

They all paused.

"Because they have no souls…" said Jade, slowly.

"Uh huh," said Remi. "And let me tell you, it is very hard to learn how to sing popular music without one."

As they were taking this in, Remi started talking again. "I should tell you, I've had the power of Marik in me for a while… about thirty-something years to be precise…"

"But how?" said Mary. "You'd have to be… forty years old!"

"Oh, Mary," said Remi. "I'm a _lot_ older than _that_."

He started to pace.

"I guess I can begin at the beginning," he started. "I do like talking about myself…

"I was born in Italy, around the Fifteenth Century…"

They all turned pale.

"Scary isn't it?" he continued. "I barely remember my parents. They were lowlifes who abandoned me when I was five. I've changed my name so often that even I don't remember the one they gave me.

"Up to the point that I was sixteen, I lived as a thief, stealing and picking pockets to survive. Eventually, I settled in Rome, becoming well known among the local criminal element.

"There was always one farmhouse on the outskirts of the city that my fellow thieves warned me to stay away from. They said that the family included a woman who was a witch. I didn't believe it, and called them all fools. Eventually, they dared me to try robbing the farmhouse… I accepted their dare.

"Like the idiot I was at the time, I broke in, and was confronted by a young girl, two years younger than I was. My eyes fell on a gold necklace she was wearing. I grabbed her and tried to take the necklace, but she grabbed a carving knife and cut me with it. In a rage, I drew my dagger, and stabbed her through the stomach, killing her.

"It wasn't the first time I'd killed someone, nor the last. But I didn't realize at the time the magnitude of what I had done. For one lousy necklace, I had made the worst mistake of my life.

"For at that moment, the girl's father and brother entered. They were horrified, naturally. They beat me until I was half dead. I fully expected to be dragged before the constabulary and hanged… but my fate would be far worse.

"At that point the girl's mother entered. I'll never forget her bizarre appearance. She had flowing blonde hair and big green eyes that seemed to stare through me. She wept over her daughter's body, but only for a moment. As her husband and son held me down, she glared at me in hate, and said that my punishment would not be to die… but to live forever in fear.

"She then spoke words in a language I didn't understand, and something was ripped from me. Before I knew it, she was holding a glowing sphere in her hand… my very soul. She said she would hide it, and that I would never know peace until I found it again.

"They kept me locked in their cellar for days, until finally, they sold me to a group of wandering slave traders. Thus began the most agonizing ten years of my life. The slave drivers they sold me too were horrible people, who not only worked my fingers to the bone, but punished me terribly for any sign of disobedience. I was whipped, beaten, starved, and chained down several times… but I made a resolution not to let them break me. My will was too strong."

Yugi paused. He might have started to feel sorry for Remi at that moment… but then he remembered what he was doing to New York.

"It was year into my enslavement," continued Remi, "that I noticed something odd. A wave of smallpox hit our camp, and while everyone got sick, I was unaffected. More diseases struck after a year, but I seemed immune to these natural ravages.

"And after ten years, I caught on to the true nature of the witch's curse. While the other young slaves who were with me at the time I was caught were now grown men and women, I was still sixteen. I had not aged a day. Father Time no longer had any effect on me. I could not die from nature's effects.

"But while I could not die from a natural cause, I bore enough scars from torture to know in my heart that I was not truly immortal. I could still die though violence. And that scared me. I knew that my captors would soon catch on, and kill me. So one night, I took a chance; I fought back against a particular lazy taskmaster, killed him and took his sword. I fought my way out of the camp, and escaped into the night.

"I knew I had to find my soul, but journeying back to that farmhouse outside of Rome, which took a year, did nothing. The family was no longer there, nor was my soul. For all I knew – and _still_ know – it could be anywhere in the world…

"I tried many times to settle down and live a normal life, live anyway that I could, but it never lasted long. Most people dream of eternal youth, but let me tell you, it is a cruel joke. To be a teenager forever! You have no legal rights, no respect from others, no way to make a decent living! You can't even order beer at a bar!

"And no matter where I settled, after a while, sooner or later, they noticed I wasn't growing any older. Thinking me in league with demons, they pursued me, and I had to flee lest I be burned at the stake as a witch. I had several close calls, and every time, I had to start over, hundreds of miles away.

"So the years stretched into decades, decades into centuries… each one more miserable than the last. The world grew, and I didn't. I went through periods of buying black market alcohol and drugs just to keep myself from utter despair. At times I considered suicide, but I didn't dare. Most people look forward to an afterlife of sorts after death. But without my soul, I feared that nothing awaited me beyond the veil but complete oblivion. Hate welled inside me, hatred towards the entire world…

"But all that changed about twenty-six years ago…"

He looked at Yugi.

"As you know, Yugi," he said, "your father defeated Marik in a cataclysmic battle, and destroyed his dark spirit. Marik was freed of his evil side, and he and your father called a truce. Marik repented his wicked ways, and threw his Rod away…

"I know, because I was nearby at the time of that great battle. I was lying in a gutter, wallowing in self-pity for the millionth time, when dirty clouds started to hover overhead. The destroyed remains of Marik's dark spirit cascaded down on me like foul rain, and my mind became infused with dark memories of the spirit. Thus I became his Heir, and I took a new name to reflect that.

"Following my instincts, I eventually found the Rod. I now had power… power enough to make my dreams reality. Power to extract revenge! Revenge on the world that had tortured me. I began recruiting minions, those who shared my dreams. It was slow at first, and many needed 'persuasion', but soon my plans started in earnest…

"But five years later, they almost ended. With the power came a price. The destroyed spirit had poisoned my blood, tainting it with a deadly toxin. The poison started to spread, and I would soon be dead from it. I began to panic – I knew of no cure…

"But luck was with me. I soon met a man named Skackle, whom I believe you already met. When I met him, he was just a young worshipper of the dark god Set, and he recognized my affliction. He found a way by using this…"

He drew the dagger from the Millennium Rod.

"…and a process similar to bloodletting that could keep me alive, so long as I subjected myself to it repeatedly. He could even offer the tainted blood that he drained to his deity, so it was a win-win situation for both of us."

"Well then," said Jade. "You will not be alive much longer then. Skackle is a vegetable now…"

"We'll see," said Remi with an evil smile.

"Anyway, with his aid, I continued my plans, and they helped me find a happy coincidence – Marik had been in the process of trying to free Set from his millennia-long imprisonment, using this Castle as the key to doing so. I restarted construction, gained more minions, and grew in power. Ever since I've been here, I've been communicating with his barely conscious form, gaining power to distribute to both myself and my minions…"

"The Dark Four…" said Peter.

"Exactly," said Remi. "And once Set is free, he will cure me of the curse on my blood, help me find my soul, and with my new, stronger immortal life, I will act as his price regent as he rules the world as its rightful master! I was once a slave, and now the whole world will be _our_ slaves! Nothing will defeat us!

"All that I truly needed was the energy to free him from his prison…

"But we'll keep the how and why about that a secret for now. I'm not about to reveal how it works…"

He picked up a Duel Disk and strapped it to his arm.

"But for now lets _get_ to work!"

He raised his Rod, and Yugi's shackles crumbled.

"You want to duel me?" said Yugi.

"You must make a wager," said Remi, "and I will make one as well. Should you defeat me, I promise that neither I nor anyone in my employ will ever attempt to harm you or your five friends again."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. Remi raised his Rod.

"But if I win," said Remi. "You will willingly submit yourself to the power of my Millennium Rod, and become my slave… forever!

"Deal?"

Yugi paused.

"By the way," said Remi, "this is the only way to stop me from killing your friends right now…"

Yugi gave him a look.

"Swear on your Rod that you will keep your side of the bargain!" said Yugi.

Remi grinned.

"What an intriguing demand!" said Remi. "You don't trust me, Yugi?"

"No, frankly I don't."

"Fine," said Remi. "I will swear on the Rod, if you first swear on your Puzzle to keep _your_ side of the bargain should you lose!"

Yugi paused again.

"Spirit," he said in his mind. "Is that wise?"

The Spirit took a long time to answer.

"I don't like it," he responded. "But if it is the only thing that will end this madness, then I'm afraid that it must be done."

Yugi slowly raised his Puzzle on its strap.

"Yugi, no!" said Mary.

"It's the only way, Mary," said Yugi.

He held the Puzzle out in front of him.

"I, Yugi Muto Junior, solemnly swear on the Millennium Puzzle, that if I am defeated in this duel, I will willingly submit myself to the power of the Millennium Rod and serve you forever."

He lowered the Puzzle.

Remi smiled.

He raised his Rod.

"I, The Heir of Marik," he said, "worshipper of the Lord of the Twelve Hours of Night, solemnly swear that if I am defeated in this duel, neither I nor anyone in my employ will ever attempt to harm Yugi Muto Junior, Mary Wheeler, Clive Marris, Peter Ramset, Jade Valentine, or Siegfried Kaiba again."

He lowered it.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

"Yes," said Yugi.

"Then it's time for a change of venue," said Remi.

He raised the Rod, and slowly a wave of darkness issued from it.

It first enveloped him, then it consumed his five chained captives, and then Yugi. For a minute, all that there was in the world was darkness.

"This battle will be fought in the void of the Shadow Realm," said Remi's voice. "So make peace with the Heart of the Cards, for this will be your last duel…"

Laughter echoed in the darkness, as Yugi stood firm.


	30. Heart of the Abyss

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Before Yugi knew it, he was surrounded by uncanny darkness. Ugly clouds floated by in the distance, and small lights flashed.

At the moment, the only one with him was the ever-present Spirit of the Puzzle.

"The Shadow Realm," said Yugi. "I really don't like this place."

"I don't like it either Yugi," said the Spirit. "Every time I come here, it only means one thing…"

"_A Shadow Game!"_ they both said at once.

"Where are you, Remi!" he called out.

"Be there in a minute!" said Remi's voice. "Just have to get a few things!"

At that point, a shape appeared to Yugi's left, some twenty feet away. Mary, Clive, Peter, Siegfried, and Jade appeared, still chained to the wall that now floated in the abyss like a slab.

"Yugi…" said Mary.

"I knew they wouldn't mind being here to watch your last stand, Yugi," said Remi's voice. "After all, I'm not heartless… Soulless, yes, heartless, no."

"That's a stretch," said Yugi.

Jade turned to Mary, who was next to her.

"Do you think Yugi can defeat him?" she asked.

"Don't know," said Mary. "I saw some of Remi's cards at the barbecue a couple of weeks ago… he has some powerful ones, including the Judgment of Anubis Trap Card…"

"Judgment of Anubis?" said Jade. "I have heard of it, but I have never seen it in play… how does it work?"

"You can only activate it if your opponent makes a move that tries to destroy a Magic or Trap card," said Mary. "But if you activate it, it's powerful. First, it negates the attempt and destroys the card making the attempt. Then, it destroys an opposing Monster, and instead of deducting one-fourth of the destroyed Monster's Attack Points or Defense Points from your opponent's Life Points, like a standard Trap, your opponent loses Life Points equal to the _full_ Attack points of the destroyed Monster. That Trap could win the duel for Remi if Yugi isn't careful…"

At that point, Remi himself appeared out of the darkness… and he had changed his wardrobe.

Yugi had at times seen pictures of Marik when he was about his age, and now, Remi had apparently taken up the clothing style of his original power source. He wore a sleeveless violet shirt, with twin gold chain fasteners on the chest, and black pants. He wore a gold choker, large gold bracelets, and gold earrings shaped like daggers. With his long blonde hair and large violet eyes, the resemblance between Remi and the young Marik was indeed uncanny.

"Well Yugi," he said, planting his Rod next to him, and raising his Dueling Disk, "it has come down to this. You have survived my City of Souls, and now we meet face to face."

He took his deck and shuffled.

"The time for talk is at an end," he continued. "What say we end this, once and for all!"

Yugi shuffled his own deck.

"I'm as game as you are," he said.

He plugged his deck into the Disk, and Remi did the same.

"Just remember, Yugi," said Remi. "Here in the Shadow Realm, there are no holograms… the Monsters are very real!"

"Just shut up and duel!" said Yugi.

The scores were set to 2,000 apiece.

"You go first," said Remi.

They made their draws.

"They don't get any better than this!" said Yugi. "Buster Blader in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and with a flash of light the armored warrior appeared with his mighty sword. (2,600/2,300)

"Lovely," said Remi. "I will summon… Injection Fairy Lily, in Attack Mode!"

A light appeared before him, and a young, petite, winged nurse carrying a huge syringe appeared. She giggled. (400/1,500)

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"Oh, geeze," said Remi. "What was I thinking?! Your Buster Blader has an Attack score of 2,600! And Lily only has a measly 400! Guess you have this duel won already, Yugi, but that's what I get for my stupid move!"

"You think I'm going to fall for _that_?" said Yugi. "I know what Lily can do when I declare an attack…"

He drew.

"So for my turn, I'll lay a card facedown, and that will be all."

"Humph," said Remi. "Well if you don't attack, I will! Lily, power up and attack with stabbing syringe attack!"

Lily's syringe glowed, she laughed, and her Attack score rose to 3,400! She pointed it at the Buster Blader and charged…

And then, Yugi pressed a button on his Disk, and the facedown card activated. The Kunai with Chain appeared in the Buster Blader's hands, and he caught Lily with it! His Attack went up to 3,000.

"Looks like I captured your nurse," said Yugi.

Remi growled.

"Well, you still aren't strong enough to defeat her…" he said.

"I will be in a minute," said Yugi, drawing. "I Equip the Buster Blader with the Sword of Deep Seated!"

The dark sword appeared in the air and replaced the Blader's normal sword. His stats went up to 3,500/2,800.

Yugi never liked this. He always felt… well, dirty when he dueled someone who used Lily. I mean, have you ever hit a friendly young nurse for no reason? Of course, he _had_ a reason now, but he still hated this…

"Blade buster attack!" said Yugi. The Blader brought his sword down, and slashed Lily apart. Remi's Life Points went down to 1,900.

"First round to Yugi," said Siegfried.

"Yeah," said Clive. "But this duel is just getting started."

Remi drew.

"Perhaps you'll remember this guy Yugi," he said. "I showed him to you on the day of the barbecue… Super-Adaptoid, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a silver, streamlined, muscular android appeared. (2,200/0).

"And," said Remi. "I'll use a Spell Card… Limiter Removal!"

He put the card down, and a numbered gauge appeared in the air. It spun around, until it broke, and the Adaptoid's Attack power went up to 4,400!

"Attack!" said Remi. "Absorption strike attack!"

The Adaptoid charged, and punched the Buster Blader, knocking him out of existence. Yugi Life Points went down to 1,100.

"Crud," said Clive.

"And I'm sure you remember how this works," said Remi, as the Adaptoid began to change shape. "Since he destroyed the Buster Blader, he becomes the Buster Blader, with all powers and abilities!"

The Adaptoid transformed into the shape of the Buster Blader, and his stats now read 2,600/2,300.

"You're a fool Remi," said Yugi. "You used Limiter Removal, so your Adaptoid will be destroyed when your turn ends!"

"Any _Machines_ I have on the field will be destroyed when my turn ends!" said Remi. "The Adaptoid isn't a Machine right now, he's a Warrior like the Buster Blader he resembles. So he's safe from the adverse affects of Limiter Removal!

"Make your move…"

Yugi drew and considered. That was clever strategy, he thought.

"I'm laying a Monster facedown in Defense," he said, putting a card down, "and ending my turn."

The card appeared on the "floor" in front of him.

"I'm not afraid of your hidden card, Yugi!" said Remi. "Adaptoid Buster Blader, attack!"

The transformed Monster charged, and suddenly, the Beaver Warrior appeared, and was cut down.

But then, the Super Adaptoid transformed again, taking on the appearance of the Beaver Warrior! His stats now read 1,200 over 1,500!

"Looks like you didn't follow the advice that you yourself gave me when using the Super Adaptoid," said Yugi. "Never attack a facedown Monster with it, lest your foe trick him into assuming the form of a weak Monster!"

Remi growled.

"I'll end my move by switching him into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card. "Your move."

Yugi drew.

"And here she comes!" said Yugi. "In Attack Mode, Guardian Angel Joan!"

A beam of light struck in front of him, and the beautiful winged Fairy appeared.

"Attack!" said Yugi. "Searing light of Heaven attack!"

Beams flashed from Joan's hands, and they obliterated the Beaver Warrior.

"And now," said Yugi. "I get Life Points equal to the Super Adaptoid's original Attack Score, which was 2,200!"

His score went up to 3,300.

"It's your move."

"Yes!" said Peter. "Yugi's gonna do it!"

Remi drew. He didn't seem upset at all.

"I'll lay one card facedown," he said. "And I'll play Kuriboh in Defense Mode."

He set the cards down. A card appeared in front of him, and the tiny Fiend appeared in front of the card. It squeaked. (300/200)

"That will end my move," he said.

Okay, thought Yugi. This is a little too suspicious…

He drew.

The Morphing Jar, he thought. This could work well…

"No attack this round," he said. "I'll simply place one Monster facedown in Defense.

He set the card down, and the card appeared before him.

Remi chuckled. "Clever," he said, drawing. "But you still can't stop my plan. I play Change of Heart!"

He put the card down, and Guardian Angel Joan flew over to his side! Yugi and his friends gasped.

"Don't worry, Yugi, I'm not going to attack with her," said Remi. "I'm just going to activate this Trap, one which I believe Mary has used before…"

He revealed the facedown card, and the Altar For Tribute card appeared!

"I offer Guardian Angel Joan as a sacrifice," said Remi. "And now _my_ Life Points are increased by _her_ Attack Score!"

Guardian Angel Joan vanished with a scream, and Remi's Life Points increased to 4700.

"And my turn isn't finished yet!" continued Remi. "I summon Dark Ruler Ha Des, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a hulking Fiend in royal clothing and a helmet appeared. (2,450/1,600)

"Where'd that jerk get such a cool Fiend?" said Peter.

"As you might know," said Remi, "this Fiend can destroy my opponent's Monsters without fear of their effects! Dark Ruler, attack that facedown card with Stygian blast attack!"

Dark Ruler Ha Des shot forth a blast of darkness, and the Morphing Jar appeared. It moaned, and smashed.

"Humph," said Remi. "What a waste."

Yugi drew and looked at his cards.

"I'll place the Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," he said, putting the card down.

The Mystical Elf arose, chanting her spell.

"And," said Yugi, "One card facedown."

The card appeared before him.

"Make your move," said Yugi, snidely.

Remi chuckled. "You think my Dark Ruler is afraid of a measly little elf?" he said. "Dark Ruler Ha Des, at…"

He paused.

"Wait a minute…" he said.

He looked at the facedown card.

"What?" said Yugi. "_Are_ you and your great Dark Ruler Ha Des afraid of my Mystical Elf?"

"No!" said Remi. "It's just that…"

"Pitiful," said Yugi. "A simple elf with not even 1,000 Attack points is standing in the way of the King of the Underworld!"

Remi snarled in rage. "I'll teach you!" he said. "Dark Ruler Ha Des, attack that Elf with Stygian blast attack!"

Again, Ha Des cast his evil spell.

"Activate Trap!" said Yugi. "Magical Mirror Force!"

"WHAT?!" said Remi as the card lifted.

The Stygian blast turned on Dark Ruler Ha Des, and blew him away. Remi's Life Points fell to 4,187.

"One must learn to master your anger, or anger will be your master," said Yugi. "Jade found that quote in a fortune cookie."

Peter burst out laughing. "You fell for that one like a sucker, Remi!" he said.

"Keep laughing shutterbug," said Remi. "My turn isn't over yet! I end by summoning Newdoria in Attack Mode!"

He slapped the card down, a ghostly sound sounded, and a man-sized Fiend in spiked armor appeared. (1,200/800)

Well, thought Yugi. That doesn't look too impressive.

He drew.

"I'll take you apart if that's the best you can do," said Yugi. "First I'll switch the Mystical Elf into Attack Mode."

The Elf opened her eyes, and lowered her hands.

"Now, Summoned Skull, also in Attack Mode!" he said, putting a card down. Lightning erupted, and the huge demon appeared. (2,500/1,200)

"Mystical Elf, attack Kuriboh with mystic magic attack!" he said.

The Mystical Elf shot forth a small ball of light, and the Kuriboh burst.

"Now, Summoned Skull," he said. "Destroy Newdoria with lightning strike attack!"

Electricity coursed around the Summoned Skull, and Newdoria was incinerated. Remi's Life Points fell down to 2,887.

"I'm in the lead, Remi," said Yugi.

"Not for long," said Remi, with an evil grin.

Suddenly, a huge clawed hand rose from below and grabbed the Summoned Skull! He was dragged into the darkness!

"What?" said Yugi.

"When Newdoria is slain in battle," said Remi. "He takes the Monster who killed him with him! That Monster was one that Marik himself used very often… I'm surprised your dad never told you!"

Yugi's Life Points fell to 2,675.

My turn now," said Remi. "And I'll summon Helpoemer in Defense Mode!"

A ghastly sound came to their ears, and a blue-skinned Fiend arose, sitting on a throne. (2,000/1,400)

"Your move, Yugi," said Remi.

"Fine," said Yugi. "I summon Curse of Dragon, in Attack Mode!"

The yellow, spindly dragon appeared. (2,000/1,500)

"Mary," said Clive, turning to her. "If I'm not mistaken, that Helpoemer thing has a higher Attack score than a Defense score…"

"So?" said Mary.

"So why the heck did Remi play it in Defense?"

Mary thought for a minute.

"Come to think of it," said Mary. "Remi could have decimated Yugi's Life Points by attacking the Mystical Elf with that thing…"

They both paused.

"Curse of Dragon…" said Yugi.

"Yugi no! It's a trap!" shouted Mary.

It was too late.

"ATTACK!!" shouted Yugi.

The Dragon breathed a gout of fireballs, incinerating Helpoemer.

And then, a warning message flashed on Yugi's disk. Remi let out a cruel laugh.

"Joke's on you, Yugi!" he said. "Any duelist who destroys Helpoemer has to discard his whole hand! Too bad your girlfriend didn't realize that a second earlier!"

Yugi snarled and discarded his hand.

"I'll finish by switching the Mystical Elf back to Defense Mode," he said, switching the card. The Elf resumed her mantra.

"Do whatever you want," said Remi. "You're out of your league here, Yugi. You're going to lose, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"It doesn't matter what happens to me," said Yugi. "So long as my friends are safe…"

At that point Remi laughed more than he ever had before.

"What's so funny?!" said Yugi.

"_You_ are!" said Remi. "Did I ever promise I was going to let your friends go if you lost? Did I? No, I didn't!

"In fact Yugi, when I have you under my power, the first thing I'm going to order you to do is kill them yourself!"

He laughed again, and Yugi gasped. He looked at his five allies.

"And don't think you'll be able to refuse," continued Remi. "When someone willing submits to the Rod, my power over them is inescapable!"

For a brief second, Yugi retreated to his mind.

"I never imagined…" he said, as the Spirit appeared before him.

He fell to his knees.

"Is it too late to go back on our word?"

The Spirit paused.

"We can't," said the Spirit. "I may control the Puzzle, but it controls me as well. We can't break the oath we made should we lose… it won't let us!"

Tears formed in Yugi's eyes. "This is my fault!" he said. "I'm the one who agreed to swear on the Puzzle!"

"No Yugi, it wasn't like that," said the Spirit. "You asked permission, and _then_ you swore on it."

Yugi looked up at him.

"Yugi," said the Spirit. "Both of us have gotten us into a bad situation, and now there is only one option… we must win this duel. Just try not to think of what will happen should you lose. Our friends are counting us, now more than ever…"

He came back to awareness.

This will be perfect, thought Remi. The Siphon is not the only way to feed power to the gemstone. Set is a deity who enjoys betrayal more than anything else. Once I get Yugi to sacrifice his friends, the Master is as good as freed!

"I will place one card facedown," said Remi. "And summon Gigantes in Attack Mode."

A card appeared in front of him, and a huge giant with red skin and one horn, carrying a tree trunk, appeared before the card. (1,900/1,300).

"Well Yugi, it's your turn," he said. "Whatever card you draw better be good, because it will be your only one!"

Yugi drew.

"Here's my card, Remi!" he said. "Monster Recovery!"

"What?" responded his opponent.

Yugi placed it down, and the Mystical Elf and Curse of Dragon vanished.

"Those two Monster Cards are returned to my deck," said Yugi, taking his deck. "Now I reshuffle, and draw a new hand!"

He drew five new cards, and placed the deck back.

"Now, Gaia the Fierce Knight, in Attack Mode!" he said.

Gaia appeared on his steed and struck a heroic pose! (2,300/2,100)

"Attack Gigantes!" said Yugi. "Double lance attack!"

Gaia charged, but then the facedown card behind Gigantes lifted. A huge glass wall appeared between the two Monsters, and Gaia staggered back.

"A Mirror Wall!" said Yugi.

The Fierce Knight's Attack Score went down to 1,150.

"That's right," said Remi. "Is that your move?"

"Yeah," said Yugi, growling.

"Gigantes, attack with tree trunk bash attack!" shouted Remi.

Gigantes lumbered forward and smashed Gaia flat. Yugi's Life Points sank to 1,950.

"Come now, Yugi," said Remi. "You have plenty of ways to take down a Mirror Wall. Don't you have a Harpie's Feather Duster in your deck somewhere?"

He placed a card facedown, and it appeared behind Gigantes.

"Of course, you don't know what _this _ is… or do you?"

He's taunting me, thought Yugi. That has to be his Judgment of Anubis Trap Card! Now I have no way to bring down that Mirror Wall safely! And I can't attack safely so long as it's in place!

He drew.

"I summon the Giant Soldier of Stone, in Defense Mode," he said.

The Giant Soldier arose, and assumed a defensive position. (1,300/2,000)

Remi drew.

"Think I'll pass this turn," he said. "Nothing I can do right now, and it's not like you can stop me…"

Yugi drew.

Great, he thought. The Harpie's Feather Duster. But I don't dare use it now…He'd bring my Life Points down to 650, and it still wouldn't get rid of the Mirror Wall…

"I summon the Dark Magician, in Defense Mode!" he said.

The Dark Magician appeared, and knelt in Defense. (2,500/2,100)

"And that will do it for me," he said.

"Figures," said Remi. "You always count on the Dark Magician to bail your butt out when you're in a mess. But he can't help you now…"

He drew.

"Look what I got, Yugi!" he said. "A Stop Defense card!"

"Oh no!" said Mary.

Remi put it down, and the Dark Magician and the Giant Soldier of Stone rose up into Attack Mode.

"Attack the Giant Soldier of Stone, Gigantes!" said Remi. "Tree trunk bash attack!"

Gigantes swung his weapon, and smashed the Giant Soldier to bits. Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,350.

"No…" said Mary, almost crying.

"Keep your faith, Mary," said Jade. "Keep your faith. And if Yugi does lose to this maniac, try to find it in your heart to forgive him…"

Mary nodded.

"I can see you sweat Yugi," said Remi. "I can see you trembling! You can't attack, you can't do anything that will allow you to attack, and there's nothing you can do to stop me! You won't be winning this one! So are you going to move, or are you going to surrender?"

Yugi drew.

"I'm just going to pass this turn," he said. "Make your move."

Remi drew.

Ah, he thought. The Just Desserts Trap Card. This will give Yugi a surprise next turn…"

"For my move, I'll just lay one card facedown," he said.

He did so, and another facedown card appeared beside what Yugi assumed was Judgment of Anubis.

Yugi drew.

He gave the card a surprised look.

"I'll first lay one card facedown," he said.

He did so, and a facedown card of his own appeared.

"And now," said Yugi, selecting a card. "I'll dust off your Mirror Wall with Harpie's Feather Duster!"

"Yugi!" said Mary.

"No!" said Siegfried.

"Yugi!" shouted Jade.

Yugi put the card down, and the large feather appeared.

Remi laughed out loud, and pushed a button on his Disk. "That took a lot of guts, Yugi!" he laughed. "But now you lose! I counter your Feather Duster with Judgment of Anubis!"

"NOOOO!!" screamed Mary.

The frightening image of Anubis started to materialize…

But then Yugi pressed a button on his own Disk.

"Not in this lifetime, Remi!" he said. "I counter your Counter with my own Counter Trap! A card called Trap Jammer!"

A pentagram appeared on the floor, and green smoke arose from it.

"T-Trap Jammer?!" stammered Remi. "Where did you get that?!"

"From a friend whom Mary rescued," said Yugi. "And as you may know, Trap Jammer can negate the effects of any Trap, even your precious Judgment of Anubis!"

The form of Anubis shattered!

"That means," continued Yugi, "that my Harpie's Feather Duster succeeds, whipping out your Mirror Wall, and whatever other card you just placed down!"

The Mirror Wall shattered, as did the Just Desserts card!

"NOOOO!!" screamed Remi.

"It also means," said Yugi, "that Gigantes is done for. Dark Magician, dark magic attack!"

The Dark Magician blew Gigantes away, and Remi's Life Points dropped to 2,287.

Thank you, Bonz, thought Yugi.

"YAY!!" said Mary.

"Great shot, Yugi," said Clive. "That was one in a million! Now finish off this lunatic so we can all go home!"

Remi nervously drew.

"Um, uh," he said. I place a "Monster facedown in Defense Mode."

"Bad bluff, Remi," said Yugi. "I summon the Dark Magician Girl, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the Dark Magician Girl appeared next to her mentor. (2,000/1,700).

She and the Dark Magician faced each other, nodded, and turned to face Remi.

"Dark Magician Girl," said Yugi, "take out that Defense Monster!"

The apprentice aimed her staff, and fired. A fiendish, two-headed hound appeared and was vaporized.

"The Twin-Headed Wolf," said Yugi. "Couldn't you have done better? Finish him off, Dark Magician! DARK MAGIC ATTACK!!"

The Dark Magician aimed his scepter at Remi. He covered his eyes…

The sorcerer fired, hitting Remi and knocking him down. Remi's Life Points fell to zero.

Remi was in considerable pain. Smoke rose from his clothing, and he heard cheers coming from Yugi's friends. He groped for his Rod, and the darkness of the Shadow Realm started to melt away.

Well, he thought. Time for Plan B…


	31. Dark Sorcery

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Within moments, they were back in Remi's throne room. Remi was standing in the center with his head bowed… Yugi was next to his friends, who were still chained to the wall. Looking outside the balcony, the sun must have gone down, as it was dark as midnight.

Yugi looked at his watch – it was actually three AM. Time must flow differently in the Shadow Realm.

"REMI!" said Yugi, pointing to his friends. "I demand that you keep your promise and let them go!"

"A promise is a promise," said Remi. He pointed his Rod to the wall, and the shackles crumbled. The five of them fell to the ground.

Remi walked over to his chessboard and placed the Red Rook on its side. "This is so depressing," he said.

Jade got up and drew her sword. "Now Remi," she said, "it is time for you to pay for your crimes…"

"Wait," said Remi. "Don't you want to hear the rest? Don't you want to know why I tried so hard to kill you all this time?"

Jade paused.

"You have five minutes," she said, raising her sword.

Remi walked to the gem (which still read 12.08) and picked up the Siphon.

"You see people," he said. "This gem is the key to releasing my master Set from his prison in the Shadow Realm. To activate its power, I needed to sacrifice the life forces of creatures slain in duels."

He raised the Siphon.

"This device was what collected the life force from every such victim. The more noble, pure, and heroic the soul of the fallen victim, the more energy the gem would gain; thus I had hoped to destroy ones such as you with my constant deathtraps…

"But you were just too good. The only duelists to fall were my own henchmen, with their rotten, greedy, and selfish souls, which only gave the gem 12.08% of what it needed…"

He raised the Siphon.

"But given the results of what has just transgressed, I think I have plenty of energy now!!"

He jammed the Siphon into the gem and it glowed with unholy light! In a flash, the number shot up to 100.00!

"Wh-what?!" said Yugi. "But you weren't able to kill any of us!"

Remi laughed.

"We dueled in the Shadow Realm Yugi…" said Remi with an evil smile. "When one duels there, the Monsters you summon are just as much living creatures as you are! I didn't slay you, but I slew several of your powerful summoned minions! They counted as 'defeated in duels' too, even though I lost! And let me let you in on a little secret. When you duel in the Shadow Realm, a duelist's creatures take on the morals and ethics of their masters! Even your Summoned Skull was more saint that demon. With that duel, I gained so much energy I could have freed Set _twice_!

"In just a minute or two, people, Set will be here, free as a bird… and while I promised that I or the folks who work for me would not harm you, the being whom I _myself_ work for... that is a different story entirely!"

"You venomous snake!" said Jade. She charged at him.

Remi raised his staff, and Jade bounced off an invisible shield.

"Never said I couldn't _defend_ myself from you," he said.

He turned to the gem, which was now glowing with intense, sickening light!

"ARISE!!" said Remi.

"People!" said Yugi. "We have to buy time! The headbands!"

"The what?" said Clive.

"The headbands that Shadi gave us! The tiaras! Who has them?!"

"I do," said Siegfried, taking his knapsack off.

He started to fumble with the zipper.

Jade took her sword and slashed it open. The contents, along with the six golden headbands, each topped by a golden hawk, spilled out.

"Everybody take one!" said Yugi. "And whatever you do, don't take them off!"

They put them on, and for a moment, they felt a tingling, and saw the face of a shining, hawk-headed being in their minds. But it soon went away.

The gemstone continued to glow, until finally, it burst. Standing where it was stood a monster more hideous than anything they had ever seen summoned in a game of Duel Monsters…

He was huge, over eight feet tall, and hulking. His skin was dark, nearly black, and his hands and bare feet were clawed. His head was a cross between a donkey and a wolf, with a mouth full of sharp teeth and glowing red eyes. His dress was limited to a breechcloth, golden armbands, and golden anklets. The aura of evil in the room was unlike any the mortals had ever felt before.

Remi fell to his knees.

"Master Set," he said. "Lord of the Twelve Hours of Night, rightful ruler of the Great Pharonicy, it is my only goal in life to serve you! I am your humble vassal and I have worked hard for years to liberate you from Shava-ka's wicked prison."

Set stared at him.

"I was expecting Marik…" he said, in a deep voice.

"Marik is gone, master," said Remi. "I am his Heir, and I continue his work."

Set rubbed his chin.

"I remember no Heir," he said. "But anyone who is loyal enough to release me is welcome to serve me. Thus, I will remove the curse that taints your blood!"

He gestured, and Remi let out a cry of pain. Black globs formed on his skin, and then fled from his body.

"Yes, thank you master," he said. "I feel better than I have in years!"

"Arise," said Set. "Do not grovel. I am grateful for release, but it has been so long… I hunger…"

"Well," said Remi, getting up. "There you go…"

He pointed to Yugi and his friends.

"There are six souls for you," said Remi. "All six young and innocent, and as pure as snow!"

Set turned to them.

"Okay, Shadi," said Clive. "These things had better work…"

Set closed in on them…

And then his eyes widened.

"The Tiaras of Re-Horakhty!" he gasped.

"That's right, ugly!" said Mary. "You can't chow on us while we're wearing these!"

Set laughed.

"So then, we have a standoff, mortals," he said. "I know that the magic of those tiaras won't last forever… and you'll never escape this Castle!"

He raised his hand, and a brick wall appeared, sealing off the balcony.

Jade drew her sword.

"We can escape if I take you out!" she said.

"Jade no!" said Peter.

"Well, this will be amusing," said Set. "Let us see how you handle that blade!"

Jade swung her katana at Set, but he blocked her blow aside. She swung again and again, but none of her swings connected.

Eventually, he simply clapped his hands together, and caught the sword. Jade struggled to free it.

"You fight well, mortal," he said. "But your training in combat is obviously limited to a few years, while mine has spanned since the dawn of time!"

He gave the sword a push and then kicked her. Jade fell backwards, landing on her back. She fell over, and the tiara fell off of her head!

Set drooled!

Peter dove forward, and slammed in back on her forehead.

"Curses!" shouted Set.

"Didn't you remember what Shadi said?" said Peter. "Set can't be killed!"

"Then what do we do?" moaned Jade.

"We'll think of something…" said Yugi, looking at him.

"YOU!!" said Set, looking at Yugi.

The two met eyes.

"You…" said Set. "When I communicated with Marik, he warned about the owner of the Millennium Puzzle… Yugi Mouto, isn't it?"

Strange, thought Yugi. He's somehow unaware of how much time has passed. But then, he's immortal – twenty-six years is like an instant to him. Better play along… and maybe bluff a little.

"Yes, I am Yugi Mouto," he said. "I defeated Marik, and I can defeat you as well, no matter how powerful you are!"

Set glared at him for a moment or two. It seemed a look of fear was starting to form in his eyes. It made sense. The owner of a Millennium Item had imprisoned him once before… maybe he thought that the owner of another could do the same.

"Well then Yugi," said Set. "Why don't we settle this… your way. In the days of the Shadow Games, I was a duelist myself. We'll have a duel of our own… if my new vassal is indeed the Heir of Marik, he will know what I require…"

"Yes indeed, Master," said Remi.

"Then we will meet on the summit of this Castle in thirty minutes for a duel," he said. "Defeat me, and I will allow you and your friends to leave unharmed."

"And if I refuse?" said Yugi.

"You haven't got a choice, mortal," he said. "As I said, those trinkets won't protect you forever. I'll devour you all and keep your husks as trophies!"

"Yugi…" said the Spirit inside him.

"Yes," said Yugi.

"Perhaps we'd best do as he wants. Although I doubt he'll keep his word, maybe if we have some time close to him, I can figure out a way to put him back where he was.

"But I have to say, this is the most dangerous, powerful being we've ever opposed. We'll have to duel as we never had before!"

"We've defeated the Grim Reaper," said Yugi.

"The Reaper was an utterly neutral being," said the Spirit. "This entity is pure Evil, and he'll stop at nothing to win. Believe in yourself, believe in your Heart, and with a great deal of luck and skill, this nightmare may yet be over soon…"

He came back to awareness.

"Okay, monster," he said. "I'll duel you."

"Excellent," said Set. "On the summit of this Castle, in thirty minutes."

He waved his arm, and he and Remi vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They waited. Yugi shuffled and reshuffled his deck.

Finally, a door opened, and an elevator appeared.

"Where does this go?" said Mary.

"Up," said Clive, "I assume."

They got in, and no sooner had they boarded, then it whisked them up, quickly. In less than a minute, they were almost spit out onto what appeared to be the roof of the Castle.

Among the darkness of night, they were amid spires and towers. Lightning started to flash in the sky, as if a raging storm were brewing.

In the largest flash, the whole area was lit up, and Set appeared in front of them. Remi was behind him, carrying something wrapped in a purple cloth.

"I wasn't certain you would come, Yugi," said Set. "Mortal souls scare so easily."

Yugi stared at him.

"I have _two_ mortal souls in me!" he said.

"And two times nothing is still nothing…" said Set.

He turned to Remi.

"Have the preparations been made, Heir?" he said.

"Yes, master," said Remi, opening the cloth. Inside was a specially made Dueling Disk plated with gold, as well as a deck of cards in gilded protective sleeves.

"Your Disk," said Remi, "and your deck, composed just as you dictated to the original Marik."

Set leafed though it.

"Yes," he said. "It will suit my needs nicely."

He slipped the Duel Disk on his left arm, and shuffled the deck.

"Listen, Set," said Yugi. "I must have your word that you will not use your divine powers to cheat."

"Now why would I cheat?" said Set.

"I don't trust a person who would murder his own brother!" said Yugi.

Set was now clearly angry.

"I don't need my godly powers to defeat a worm like you!" said Set. "So shuffle and make your draws!"

He placed his deck in the Disk.

Yugi shuffled and did the same.

"Fine," said Yugi.

Lightning violently flashed in the sky.

"LET'S DUEL!" they said.

"So," said Peter, "It all comes down to this. Remi was one thing, but can Yugi beat _this_ guy?"

"How do you beat an eight-foot-six walking nightmare?!" said Clive.

"If _anyone_ can beat him," said Mary, "Yugi can…"

They made their draws.

"I will go first," said Set. "And I begin by playing this Field Magic card… Necrovalley!"

As he lay the card down, a light enveloped him, and a large, rocky, sandy valley surrounded Set, with pyramids and monuments in the background.

"Uh oh," said Mary. "There's only one reason why anyone ever uses the Necrovalley Field card…"

"What?" said Jade.

"And I summon," said Set, "Gravekeeper's Guard, in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a fat, bald, priest in a brown robe appeared, holding a staff. (1,000/1,900)

And then his stats went up to 1,500/2,400.

"That," said Mary. "Gravekeepers. A special group of Dark Spellcasters. Not only does Necrovalley raise all their Attack and Defense scores by 500 points, but so long as the Valley is in effect, no Magic card, Trap card, or Monster effect that involves either player's Graveyards can be used. Not even Monster Reborn."

"Lovely," said Jade.

"And I'll end my turn by playing one card facedown," said Set. He set it down, and a card appeared behind the Guard.

Yugi drew and considered his options. He had never dueled anyone who had used a Gravekeeper's deck before, but he had seen someone use one at last year's Big Apple Tournament. He was now trying hard to remember how each of these complicated Monsters worked…

Well, he thought. This guy can take out that Guard.

"Summoned Skull in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put his card down, and the huge Fiend appeared. (2,500/1,200) Lightning flashed again.

"Attack the Guard with lightning strike attack!" shouted Yugi.

The Fiend shot forth its thunderbolts.

"Big mistake, mortal," said Set. "I'm activating my Quickplay Magic Card, Pyramid Energy!"

The card flipped around, and an energy pyramid appeared around the Guard.

"With this Magic Card," said Set, "I can for one round raise the Defense of Gravekeeper's Guard by 500 points, to a total of 2,900!"

The lightning bolts bounced of the Gravekeeper's Guard, and Yugi's Life Point's fell to 1,600.

"Okay, so I screwed up," said Yugi. "But you haven't won yet…"

"Oh, but I will," said Set, drawing. "I summon Gravekeeper's Assailant, in Attack Mode!"

An assassin in a black robe carrying a large, curved knife appeared. (1,500/1,500) His stats when up to 2,000/2,000.

"With the Assailant's power," said Set, "I can force your Summoned Skull into Defense Mode, making him a much easier target!"

The Assailant raised his hand, and the Skull knelt in Defense.

"Gravekeeper's Assailant," said Set. "Attack with assassin's blade attack!"

The Assailant raised his dagger and brought it down on the Skull, slicing him apart. Lightning started to flash greater than ever.

"Crud," said Clive. "This isn't good…"

"It's only one Monster," said Siegfried. "I've recovered from worse…"

"Your move mortal," said Set.

"Here's my move, demon," said Yugi. "Gaia the Fierce Knight!"

Gaia appeared astride his steed. (2,300/2,100)

"Gaia, attack!" said Yugi. "Run that Assailant down!"

Gaia lifted his lances and charged, plowing into the Gravekeeper's Assailant and blowing him apart. Set's Life Points fell to 1,700.

"Your assassin is vanquished," said Yugi.

"As will you be," said Set. "I lay a Monster facedown in Defense."

The card on the ground appeared.

Yugi thought for a minute.

Okay, he thought. He's planning something. But I can't win this duel by being a coward…

He drew.

"I'm using my Polymerization card to fuse Gaia with Curse of Dragon!" he said.

The Dragon appeared on the field, and the two of them swirled together. Gaia the Dragon Champion appeared over the field! (2,600/2,100)

"Attack the facedown card, my Dragon Champion!" said Yugi. "Double dragon lance attack!"

Gaia flew forward, and before impact, a young priest in a dark robe appeared. He was blown to pieces.

"Not very formidable," said Yugi.

"That was Gravekeeper's Spy, fool," said Set. "And since you activated his Flip Effect, I get to search my deck for any Gravekeeper with an Attack of 1,500 or less and Special Summon him instantly!"

He put his deck aside, and searched his deck until he found what he was looking for. Then he reshuffled.

"There," he said, replacing the deck. "And here comes Gravekeeper's Curse, in Attack Mode!"

Another Spellcaster appeared, this one in gray robes carrying a large, crooked staff, crackling with magical energy. (800/800) His stats went up to 1,300/1,300.

"And just by summoning him," said Set, "he blasts you for 500 points of Direct Damage!"

The Gravekeeper's Curse waved his staff, and beam of energy struck Yugi, knocking him backwards! His Life Points sank to 1,100.

Thunder rolled in the sky once again.

"Yugi!" said Mary.

"I'm fine!" said Yugi.

"I think my move will consist of just laying this card facedown," said Set. He put it down, and the card appeared.

"Man" said Clive. "He put a weak Monster in Attack Mode right in front of Yugi's Dragon Champion! That facedown card has to be something deadly…"

"Yeah," said Siegfried. "So how is Yugi going to deal with it?"

Yugi drew.

Well what do you know? he thought.

"I lay one card facedown myself," he said. The card appeared behind Gaia.

"Now, Gaia, attack Gravekeeper's Curse with double lance attack!"

Set laughed. "Fell for just like I thought you would," said Set. "Activate Trap… Mirror Force!"

The card spun around, and a shining mirror appeared in front of Gravekeeper's Curse…

"Joke's on you Set," said Yugi, flipping over his own facedown card. "Your new minion fell for this, and now so will you. I counter with Trap Jammer!"

"Trap Jammer?!" said Set in surprise.

"This powerful Trap negates the effects of other Traps, as your minion well knows!" said Yugi. "So say goodbye to your Mirror Force, your Gravekeeper's Curse, and a LOT of your Life Points!"

"NO!" said Set.

Gaia smashed through the Mirror Force, and then smashed through Gravekeeper's Curse! Set's Life Points took a nosedive to 400!

"You miserable little cretin!" said Set. The lightning behind him flashed more fiercely than ever.

"Calm down, master," said Remi. "You can defeat him. No mortal can defeat you now!"

"Yes…" said Set.

"All right!" said Mary. "This guy isn't so tough!"

"He may well be," said Jade.

"Huh?" said Mary.

"Mary," said Jade, "when I first put on this tiara, I felt its holy magic blazing like a bonfire. But now its power has subsided greatly. I feel that its magic may now be almost half gone, and they are losing energy quicker by the minute.

"Set will no doubt know when they are drained. I have no doubt that this evil creature will stop the duel and consume us the instant he can. Yugi must finish this and find a way to get rid of Set quickly…"

"To finish my move," said Yugi, "I'll summon the Retrained Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode, and use Red Medicine."

He put the cards down. His Life Points went up to 1,600, and the elven warrior appeared with his sword drawn. (1,400/1,200)

He went inside his mind.

"Spirit," he said. "Any luck yet on our problem?"

"I'm working on it Yugi," he said. "All I've managed to find out is that Set has been considerably weakened by his ordeal in his prison, both from isolation and lack of 'sustenance'. But that isn't much of help… he's still about a thousand times stronger than any of us are. If I could just discover the formula that Shava-Ka used to imprison him in the first place…"

"Keep working on it," said Yugi. "I'll try to hold out…"

"My turn," said Set, drawing. "And I'll summon Gravekeeper's Cannonholder, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a dark cloaked priest carrying a shoulder cannon appeared. (1,400/1,200) His stats turned to 1,900 over 1,700.

Oh no, thought Yugi. That guy can make a Direct Attack if Set sacrifices a Monster!

"Cannonholder," said Set, "Absorb the Gravekeeper's Guard!"

Energy engulfed the Gravekeeper's Guard, and he was sucked into the cannon.

"Now use the energy," shouted Set. "Attack Yugi with ancient cannon blast!"

The Gravekeeper's Cannonholder braced himself on his knee, and fired, the blast slamming into Yugi and knocking him down! Smoke wafted up from Yugi as he pulled himself up, and his Life Points fell down to 900.

"And I am not through!" said Set. "I'm going to get rid of your Dragon Champion with Tribute To The Doomed!"

"No!" said Yugi as his opponent put the card down. A flurry of wrappings erupted, mummifying the Dragon Champion! A huge hand grabbed him, and Yugi's Life Points fell to 275.

"Ah, geeze," said Clive. "He just took out one of Yugi's best Monsters!"

"And if he takes out another Monster, Yugi's gonna lose!" said Peter.

Set laughed, as the lightning struck. "I haven't had this much fun in millennia!" he said. "Make your move, little man, if you dare!"

Yugi drew.

"I play the Gift of the Mystical Elf!" he said.

The Mystical Elf appeared, and chanted. Yugi's Life Points went up to 1,275. His friends breathed a sigh of relief.

"And I'll finish my move by laying one card facedown," he said.

He put it down, and the card appeared.

Set drew. He let out a laugh.

"I'll summon the leader of the Gravekeepers, the Gravekeeper's Chief, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and a wild-eyed priest in a white robe with a golden, glowing scepter appeared. (1,900/1,200) His stats went up to 2,400/1,700.

"With him on the field," said Set. "I am personally am longer bound by the negative affects of Necrovalley! And since I have access to my Graveyard, I can now use this Magic card, Gravekeeper's Blessing!"

"Gravekeeper's Blessing?" said Yugi.

"It heals my Life Points by 200 for every Gravekeeper in my Graveyard!" said Set, putting it down. "And there are four!"

His Life Points went up to 1,200.

"And now for your Celtic Guardian!" said Set. "Gravekeeper's Cannonholder, ancient cannon blast!"

The Cannonholder kneeled and blasted his cannon… Yugi flipped his card, and the Negate Attack Trap appeared. The blast fizzled.

"Humph," said Set. "Well, I guess it's your turn…"

Yugi drew.

So much I don't know about Gravekeepers… he thought. I do remember one particularly deadly one… how did it go?

Wait, have an idea…

"I shift my Retrained Celtic Guardian into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card. The Guardian knelt in Defense.

"And I also summon the Tengu Warrior in Defense Mode!" he said, putting the card down. The crow-like Winged Beast with a katana appeared. He sheathed his sword and folded his wings. (1,800/600)

"The card I gave him!" said Jade. "But why play it now?"

"I think Yugi has a plan…" said Mary.

"And finally," said Yugi. "One card facedown."

He placed the card.

Set drew, and laughed out loud. Thunder flashed more violently than ever.

"You just made a critical mistake mortal!" he said. "Putting Monsters in Defense is futile when facing the Gravekeepers!"

He slapped a card down.

"First I'll increase my Life Points with Dian Keto the Cure Master!" he said. "So my victory will be all the more humiliating for you!"

The priest with his crystal ball appeared, and Set's Life Points went up to 2,200.

"And now, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

Another Gravekeeper carrying a golden spear appeared. (1,500/1,000) His stats went up to 2,000/1,500.

"Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier can treat a Defensive Monster's Defense points like Attack points!" said Set. "Face it, mortal, you are finished!"

Yugi remained stone-faced.

"Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier," shouted Set, "Attack the Tengu Warrior with stabbing spear strike!"

The Spear Soldier charged forward…

"Just as I expected," said Yugi.

Yugi activated his facedown card, and his own Mirror Force appeared! The Spear Soldier was sent hurtling backwards, and he plowed into the Cannonholder and the Chief, incinerating all three in a deafening explosion!

"What? NO!" said Set, as his Life Points fell to 625.

Yugi's friends cheered, while Set seethed in anger.

"I must admit, Yugi," he said, "I underestimated you. You are a worthy foe… No one has challenged me so much since my clash with my hated nephew! But you won't win…"

He picked out a card.

"I end my turn by laying one card facedown…" he said.

Yugi drew.

"Now," said Yugi, "I bring out the ultimate Warrior!"

He showed him the card.

"A Ritual card?!" said Set.

"The Black Luster Ritual!" said Yugi, placing it down. "And to invoke its power, I sacrifice my Tengu Warrior and my Retrained Celtic Guardian!"

The altar with the crest and dual censors appeared, and the two Monsters were sucked into them. A rumbling was heard, and the Black Luster Soldier appeared, bursting forth from the crest! (3,000/2,500)

"But I won't attack right now," said Yugi. "It's your move."

Set drew.

"I summon the Mystical Knight of Jackal, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and a tall Beast-Warrior with a jackal's head, colorful metal armor, and a huge golden sword appeared in front of him. (2,700/1,200)

"That isn't a Gravekeeper," said Clive.

"Yeah, but it's one of the most powerful Beast-Warriors in the game," said Peter. "Yugi better find a way around that Trap card."

"And that is my move," said Set.

Yugi drew.

Enough with chickening out, thought Yugi. I know he's bluffing…

"Black Luster Soldier, chaos blade attack!"

The soldier swung his sword, and the Mystical Knight of Jackal was annihilated. Set's Life Points sank to 325.

"Make your move," said Yugi.

Set growled.

"Well, since my bluff didn't fool you," he said, drawing. "I'll first summon a second Gravekeeper's Chief, this time in Defense Mode."

The Gravekeeper's Chief appeared again, and knelt in defense, with his augmented stats of 2,400/1,700.

"And now," said Set, "another Gravekeeper's Blessing card!"

He flipped his facedown card.

"Now that I have _seven_ Gravekeepers in my Graveyard, my Life Points go up by 1,400!"

His Life points now stood at 1,725.

"When is this gonna end?!" said Clive.

Yugi drew.

Finally, he said.

"I play Harpie's Feather Duster!" he said.

He placed the card down, and the feather swept the field. The Necrovalley crumbled, fell, and disappeared!

"Now that you no longer have the Necrovalley," said Yugi, "Your Gravekeepers are weaklings, and I can access my Graveyard again!"

Set growled.

"Now, Black Luster Soldier," shouted Yugi. "destroy the Gravekeeper's Chief!"

The Black Luster Soldier slashed with his sword, and the Chief was destroyed.

Set drew.

"One card facedown," he said. "And now that Necrovalley is gone, I'll play Monster Reborn to bring the Mystical Knight of Jackal back!"

He set the cards down, and the Beast-Warrior reappeared. (2,700/1,200)

"Your move," said Set.

"Still trying to bluff me, huh?" said Yugi. "Chaos Blade attack!"

The Black Luster Soldier charged…

But then the facedown card spun lifted! He was caught in a Spellbinding Circle! His Attack score went down to 2,300.

"Yes!" said Remi. "Destroy him, my lord!"

"NEVER tell me what to do!" said Set to him.

"Y-yes, my lord," stammered Remi.

"Mystical Knight of Jackal," said Set. "Attack with mystical blade slash!"

The Beast-Warrior swung his golden blade, and the Black Luster Soldier was cut apart. Yugi's Life Points fell to 875. Lighting was now flashing more than ever.

"Are my eyes deceiving me?" said Siegfried. "He beat the Black Luster Soldier!"

"Now what?" said Mary.

"So, Yugi," said Set. "What moves do you have left?"

Yugi drew.

"Swords of Revealing Light!" he said.

He slapped the card down, and a swarm of glowing swords fell and surrounded Set, their glow lighting up the roof.

"THAT will keep you from attacking for three of your turns," said Yugi, "while I implement my strategy!"

"Try whatever strategy you want," said Set. "It doesn't matter to me…"

"Well, my turn isn't over," said Yugi. "I'm using this: The Dark Magic Ritual!"

"Huh?" said Set. "Another Ritual?!"

The magic altar with its torches appeared before Yugi.

"And I now sacrifice from my hand the Buster Blader and the Beaver Warrior to complete the ceremony!" shouted Yugi.

The Buster Blader and the Beaver Warrior appeared on the pentagram and vanished in a puff of black smoke, and eerie sounds came from above. Everyone looked up.

"Presenting," said Yugi. "The darkest of the dark Spellcasters, the Magician of Black Chaos!"

The sorcerer landed atop the pentagram and opened his eyes, glaring at Set. (2,800/2,600)

"I'll end my move there," said Yugi.

"Yes, I love that guy!" said Clive.

"Yeah, but Yugi is running out of Monsters…" said Peter.

Set growled. He drew.

As powerful as that wizard is, he thought. I can still defeat him…

"I'm playing the Mystical Moon Equip card," he said. "Bringing my Mystical Knight's Attack power up even more!"

A full moon appeared over the Field, and the Mystical Knight of Jackal's Attack score was raised to 3,000.

"That will end my move," he said.

Yugi reached for his deck.

I have to make the right draws for this to work… he thought.

He drew.

"I first play the Pot of Greed!" he said.

He put the card down, and the laughing jar appeared. He made two more draws.

"And now," he said. "Dark Magician Girl, in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the young, female Spellcaster appeared. (2,000/1,700)

"And I'll end my turn by playing one card facedown," he said, laying down a card. The card appeared in front of him.

"What is Yugi doing?" said Clive.

"Can it be?" said Mary, offhandedly.

"Can what be?" said Peter.

"Yugi once mentioned a card in his deck called 'Dark Sorcery,' a Magic card that requires more than one Dark Spellcaster to be on the Field… but I don't know what it does…"

Set drew.

He laughed again, and lightning danced.

"I just drew a second Gravekeeper's Curse!" he said. "And I summon him in Defense Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the Gravekeeper appeared. (800/800) He shot a blast of energy at Yugi, and he staggered backwards. His Life Points fell to 375.

"Well, Yugi," said Set. "I'm ending my turn there. And you have one more round to live."

Yugi started to sweat He drew.

He looked at his card.

"Wrong," he said.

"What do you mean, wrong?!" said Set.

"I summon the Dark Magician in Attack Mode!" he said.

He placed the card down, and his favorite Monster appeared. (2,500/2,100)

The three Spellcasters looked at each other, and then turned to face Set.

"A lot of good they will all do you," said Set. "None of them can defeat my Jackal!"

"Oh?" said Yugi. "What about this Magic card… Dark Sorcery!"

"Huh?" said Set.

"Huh?" said Remi.

Yugi's facedown card lifted.

"Dark Sorcery only works when two or more Dark Spellcasters are on my side of the Field at once!" said Yugi. It combines their Attack power, divides by five, and then hits the opponent for that much in a Direct Attack! Do the math!"

"Um," said Clive. "2,800, plus 2,500, plus 2,000…"

"It comes out to 1,460!" said Mary.

"Exactly!" said Yugi.

Everyone looked at Mary.

"Um, I always got A's in math," she said. "I've always wanted to get into medical school someday…"

The three Magicians raised their staffs, and fired a blast of dark energy, hitting Set directly in the chest! He fell over, and smoke rose from his chest, as his Life Points fell to 265!

"And my turn isn't over yet!" said Yugi. "I first use the last card in my hand, De-Spell, to destroy the Mystical Moon!"

He slapped the card down, and the Moon burst. The Mystical Knight of Jackal's Attack went back down to 2,700.

"Magician of Black Chaos," said Yugi, "destroy the Jackal with Chaos Scepter blast!"

The Magician spun his scepter and fired, obliterating the Beast-Warrior. Set screamed as his Life Points went down again, to 165.

"Dark Magician Girl!" said Yugi. "Destroy Gravekeeper's Curse!"

The Dark Magician Girl fired, blowing the Gravekeeper away.

Set struggled to get up.

"Finish him off Dark Magician!" shouted Yugi. "_Dark Magic Attack_!!"

The Dark Magician fired, blasting Set and hurling him twenty feet across the roof.

The three Magicians seemed very happy. They hi-fived each other, as Yugi's friends cheered.

Set slowly got to his feet.

"You lose, demon," said Yugi.

"I have not felt such pain… in eons!" said Set, throwing his Disk and deck away. "You will pay dearly for this!"

He howled to the heavens, and lightning and other forms of energy actually started to strike the Castle! It was like reality itself was coming undone!

"Yugi, now what?!" said Mary.

"I don't know!" said Yugi. "I kind of figured he wouldn't keep his promise…"

At that moment, the tiaras on their heads shattered!

Set laughed.

"I have you now!" he said.

"Not while I draw breath…" said a voice.

A vortex opened to the right of Yugi, and Shadi slowly emerged from it.

"YOU!!" said Set.

"Your time here is done, demon," said Shadi. "My grandmother banished you once, and now I and this young champion can do it again…"

"Shava-Ka was your grandmother?" said Yugi, surprised.

"Yes, but there's no time to discuss my family," said Shadi. "Yugi, your Dark Sorcery attack weakened Set considerably, and I think we can reimprison him. You must combine the powers of your Millennium Puzzle with my Millennium Key, and concentrate harder than you ever have before."

"Okay, I sure hope you know what you're doing…" said Yugi.

Yugi put his left hand on his Puzzle and his right on Shadi's Key; Shadi put his right hand on his Key and his left on the Puzzle. They began to concentrate, and Set began to scream. Shadi started to speak in long-forgotten languages.

Set began to struggle as if in pain. A different type of magical energy, an overwhelming aura of goodness, started to course around the roof of the Castle, to conflict with the evil lightning. Yugi started to strain, and he felt that the Spirit inside him was straining as well.

The good magic began to overwhelm the evil, and the lightning stopped. Set fell to his knees and let out a howl.

"It is over, demon," said Shadi. "I banish you to the Void."

He and Yugi's eyes started to glow with shining light, and Yugi felt like his mind was on fire. Still he hung on. A dark portal opened behind Set, and he started to be pulled towards it…

"I'll save you master!!" yelled Remi, whom they had forgotten about. Remi grasped Set's hand and pulled, but he was not strong enough. He was only pulled towards the portal with him.

In a desperate move, Remi dropped his Millennium Rod to grasp onto Set with both hands. He gave a desperate yank, but at the last moment, both he and the dark god were pulled into the portal with a scream. The portal shut, and the swirling energy subsided.

Yugi and Shadi fell to the ground.

"Spirit…" said Yugi, inside him. "Are you alright?"

No reply.

"Spirit!" he said. "Come on! Are you alright?!"

After a long pause the Spirit of the Puzzle spoke up.

"If I say yes, do you promise we'll never have to do that again?" he said.

Yugi chuckled.

"Never say never, old friend," he said.

"Uh, where are they?" said Mary, walking up to them.

"The Shadow Realm," said Shadi.

"You could have warned me," said Yugi. "Boy, what a headache!"

"Trust me, it is nothing compared to mine," said Shadi. "I hope Set doesn't escape again for _another_ three thousand years… if ever."

Shadi went over and picked up the Millennium Rod.

Then, the ground they were on started to shake.

"Quickly my friends," said Shadi. "You must leave. Without Remi or Set, this Castle cannot exist for long. After about a half-hour, it will fall apart and discorporate. You must get to safety! Use the gemstone you used to get up here to get to the ground!"

"Shadi wait!" said Mary. "There are innocent people in this Castle!"

"I know!" said Shadi. "I will get them out. Now go! We will meet again!"

As Shadi vanished into his vortex, Yugi dug the colored gemstone out of his pocket, and they ran to the edge of the Castle roof.

He read the inscription:

_Shining bridge and bright rainbow,_

_Take me to the ground below._

The rainbow appeared, they stepped on it, and they were shot down to the streets.

Shadi appeared in Remi's throne room. He walked over to the chessboard.

He took hold of the Red King and knocked it over.

"Checkmate, Set," he said. "You lose."

He then rushed off to the lower levels.

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Arriving street level on Manhattan, the six of them looked up at the Castle of Dark Illusions. Thunder and lightning still played around it, but it was beginning to subside. Eventually, after watching it for some time, pieces started to break off and disintegrate and soon, the whole Castle vanished into mist.

Then they saw them. People started appearing around them. Only a few at first, and then many. The residents of New York were coming back, and they were all dazed and confused, as if waking up from some deep sleep. The streets of Manhattan were now populated again, and the sounds of the inhabitants were back.

And as they turned to the east, they saw a welcome sight…

The dome of shadow was gone, and the sun, long hidden from view, was rising, bearing its light upon the city of New York. Like the eye of Re-Horakhty, it was there to welcome and congratulate the city's saviors.

The sounds of helicopters came to their ears…

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**GRAVEKEEPER'S BLESSING (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A female priest in a dark robe chanting a spell.

**Card Description: **Increase your Life Points by 200 for each "Gravekeeper's" Monster in your Graveyard.

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**DARK SORCERY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl facing an opponent, casting a powerful spell.

**Card Description: **Activate when you have 2 or more DARK Spellcaster-Type Monsters face-up on the field. Add the base ATKs of all such Monsters, divide by 5, and inflict the result in damage to your opponent's Life Points.


	32. Epilogue

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**Epilogue**

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_When the dome of shadow vanished around New York City, the combined forces of the Army, Marines, and National Guard swarmed into the five boroughs, prepared for anything. But it was a waste of energy. They found no threat. They asked several confused citizens, but nobody could remember what had happened to them. All of them gave the same story – they had blacked out, and did not know who had imprisoned the city. Indeed, they were even unaware that the city had been imprisoned._

_Investigations were done that lasted months, but no evidence was found that pointed to any organizations or conspiracies. The duel stations that Yugi and his friends had fought at, and even the corpses of their defeated opponents, had all vanished. The crisis that had gripped New York remained a mystery that lingered for many decades, and who's secret remained known to only a few. Theories and speculations were made, but none came close to the truth. Indeed, Yugi and his five friends felt a little resentful having to give up the fame and glory that was rightfully theirs, but they felt that it was better that world not know the terrible fate that almost struck it. In the end, even they stuck to the story given by other New Yorkers – that they had no idea what had happened._

_It hardly mattered. After a mere week, New York recovered fully, and while the eyes of the military were still on it, life went on, and it was business as usual in the City That Never Slept. _

_Yugi and his friends went home to their overjoyed families, who had never given up hope that they were alive. Parties started that did not end for days. Yugi's parents and Mary's father had somewhat of an idea what the nature of the crisis was, but their children resolved not even to confide in them. It was just too much for them to take in._

_Soon after returning home, Yugi was met by Shadi again. Shadi first reassured Yugi that he had rescued all of Lady Circe's victims and returned them to human form. Out of mercy, he had used his Millennium Key to enter their minds and erase the horrible memories of their imprisonment before letting them go home. The same went for all of Remi's mindslaves, including Olympius._

_As for those who had freely chosen to serve Remi, Shadi knew as well as Yugi that turning them over to the authorities was too dangerous. The world must never know the horrors that Remi had intended to unleash. Thus, Shadi seized them and incarcerated them in a special prison of his own making, telling Yugi they would be released once penance had been done. He said that a good many of them were more than content… Shadi was a great deal more merciful than Remi had been. _

_The same went for the Dark Four and Skackle. Shadi placed their transformed or comatose bodies in the most secure parts of his prison, telling Yugi that if ever he wished to undo the punishments he inflicted, he was free to do so. Yugi told him he had to give that some thought, and Shadi left it at that._

_As for the other survivors of the City of Souls, their lives changed from the experience, some a little, some a lot._

_Cassie Black woke up soon after the Castle was destroyed, and she remembered nothing of her enslavement by the Evil Spirit of the Ring, thinking she had suffered the same mysterious fate as the rest of the city. In fact, she was very upset at the loss of the beautiful necklace that she had bought! Yugi visited her several times to make sure the Evil Spirit was truly gone, and fortunately, he soon became certain that the demon had been flushed from her system. Cassie eventually went back to school, and continued practicing Duel Monsters… strangely, she seemed to get a little better at it, as if she had gotten some experience that she didn't know about._

_Jade's sister Amber returned to Beverly Hills, very sobered by the experience she had. Sensing truth in her sister's words, she turned her life around a little: she enrolled in college, and didn't do too bad a job in the first semester. She continued to practice Duel Monsters, hoping to discover this mysterious "Heart of the Cards" which Yugi had told her about, and in time, became better at the game, no longer having to cheat to win. _

_Terone continued to duel on the top circuits… he hoped to face Yugi again someday, in a duel where he wouldn't be under the control of some evil villain. But little did he know, a true challenge was waiting for him in the wings that would define his skills as a duelist more than ever…_

_As for Yugi and his three principal friends, the summer wore on, and they attended their senior year in high school. Jade resumed her training, and Siegfried… they lost contact with him, after he told them he had something to work on._

_And often, as Yugi lay on his bed at home after doing his homework, he wondered about Remi… what had become of him…_

_He wondered if he was still at the side of his infernal master in the darkness of the Shadow Realm, or whether they had been separated. _

_Was he even still alive? Killing Remi would not benefit Set at all, and Set could not consume Remi's soul, because Remi had none to consume._

_As he looked at his Puzzle, and at his lucky deck of cards, Yugi thought of the future and what it would hold. He figured nothing could possibly challenge him any worse than the God of Evil could…_

_Or could it?_

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**The End**

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**(Of this episode)**

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